


Dizzy Spells

by MicaNickel



Series: A Series of Dizziness [1]
Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-12
Updated: 2016-02-27
Packaged: 2018-04-20 07:49:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 130,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4779497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MicaNickel/pseuds/MicaNickel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Laura Hollis has a wild night out with some friends. She wakes up with what she thinks is the worst hangover ever, but it leads her to falling into the lap of a beautiful, and mysterious woman.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Worst. Hangover. Ever.

_'And IIIIIIIIIIIIII will always love you! I will always love yo-'_

Laura Hollis tossed her phone back onto her nightstand with a groan. She had meant to change her wake-up alarm back to “Walking on Sunshine” but had forgotten by the time she stumbled back into her apartment last night. Lafontaine had changed it at the bar citing that “waking up to Whitney Houston's voice was an out of body experience.” 

Yeah, Laura sure felt like she was out of her body. She wasn't usually this wild party girl, but after meeting her deadline at last minute yesterday, she wanted to celebrate. It was her first real, big-girl story! Her name was finally going to be on the front page of the paper! The actual front-freaking-page! Which was why it was all too easy for her to accept Laf and Perry's invitation out for drinks. 

And okay, maybe she should have stopped after her sixth or seventh shot of Tequila, all of which were quickly followed by her favorite chaser: Long Island Ice Tea, but it was kind of hard to stop drinking when she was having so much fun. It didn't have anything at all to do with the fact that Danny Lawrence had shown up unexpectedly and was raving about how “ballsy” she was being. No, nothing to do with that at all. 

Laura pulled her pillow over her head and sighed. She was definitely glad to be off from the paper today, but she was dreading going to her serving job tonight. Since she didn't have steady bylines at the paper, she opted to keep her job serving to bring in some extra money. She needed some way to be able to afford her cookie eating habit. Perry always joked about having an intervention one day. At least..she thinks Perry has been joking any time she's said it. 

Feeling around on the bed, Laura located her TV remote and pressed the power button. As the screen flicked on, sound blared from the speakers. Laura jumped and scrambled with the remote to hastily turn down the volume. Loud noises were _definitely_ not her friend right now. 

Letting the sound of the TV act as background noise, Laura picked up her phone again and began checking her notifications. She had a few from Facebook, which she quickly swiped away, and a few Snapchats from Laf and Danny that she was absolutely dreading checking. She just knew she made a fool of herself last night. 

Sure enough, the first picture she opened from Laf was of her staring all “lovey-eyes” at Danny. Laf had even included a few of those emojis with the heart eyes. The next was a video of her and Perry singing along to a song that played on the jukebox. Laura backed out of the thread from Laf without checking the rest of the 200 seconds. She just knew they would get progressively worse, and she already felt like death warmed over. She didn't need to add embarrassment to the list of reasons why she did not want to get out of bed today.

“I'll check those later..if I'm feeling any better.” Laura mumbled to herself.

She clicked on the thread with Danny's name, hoping that these images would be less embarrassing and more..badass or cute even. 

The first was basically the same video that Laf had taken on their phone. Her duet with Perry, only Danny was sitting right beside Laura so her voice was much clearer in this version. At least she didn't sound terrible, and she was only slightly slurring at this point. The next was a selfie that Danny had taken of her and Laura. She quickly debated taking a screenshot of the image before telling herself to “Girl the hell up, Hollis!” and mashed the appropriate buttons before the remaining four seconds ran out. She heard the satisfying “click!” that let her know the picture was saved to her phone before it switched to the next picture. 

The next four images were group shots that everyone had decided to take together, Danny always the one holding the phone out because, Holy Hufflepuff!, that girl had some long arms. Laura took a few screenshots of the group pictures, planning to make a collage of them later. As she clicked through the remaining thirty seconds of Danny's thread, Laura noticed that she had taken quite a few pictures of her, and this caused a massive smile to spread across her face. She wondered if Danny had saved these to her phone before sending them out. 

Exiting Snapchat, Laura opened her text messages and noticed that she had a quite a few from Perry.

 **PerrBear:** Did you make it home okay?  
**PerrBear:** Laura?  
**PerrBear:** I hope you're home asleep and not dead in a ditch somewhere.  
**PerrBear:** Hhhhhhh. Fine. I asked you to let me know when you got home but I'm just going to assume that you forgot and that you haven't been kidnapped by some...hooligan.  
**PerrBear:** Text me when you wake up so I know that you're alive, okay?

Laura sighed and began typing out a quick response so Perry wouldn't worry anymore than she already has. She apologized and let her know that she had, in fact, forgotten to let her know she was safe and that she crashed as soon as her head hit the pillow. Laura thought about asking Perry to bring over something to help cure her hang over but thought better of it. She did not feel up to company right now.

After notifying Perry that she was okay, Laura checked her other messages. 

**Laf:** I told Perry that you had probably made it home and passed out, but she's still worried.  
**Laf:** She's now saying something about you being in a ditch..?  
**Laf:** Just let us know when you wake up, alright? I'll try to keep her busy until we hear back from you ;)

Giggling to herself, Laura typed out a quick message to Laf.

 **Laura:** I did, in fact, make it home okay. I can't believe I drank so much last night! I didn't do anything too embarrassing, did I?

There weren't any messages from Danny, which was somewhat disappointing, but she decided not to dwell on it too much. Danny drank just as much as she did, so she's sure that Danny went home and passed out as well. But..maybe she should text her just to make sure..ya know..because she was concerned for her safety and all. 

**Laura:** I had an absolute BLAST last night! Perry apparently freaked when I didn't let her know I made it home lol did you make it back okay?

Laura smiled to herself. _“Smooth, Hollis.”_ She put her phone down beside her on her bed and stretched out her limbs. She didn't have to be at work for another five hours, so this gave her plenty of time to relax and enjoy some Doctor Who. She reached over to her nightstand and grabbed the controller for her PlayStation and started it up. Once the main screen came on, she clicked over to Netflix. 

As it was loading, she sat up and immediately felt dizzy. There had to have been some leftover alcohol in her system that was causing this. She shook her head and tried to make the room stop swaying to no avail. She scooted over to the side of her bed and placed her feet on the floor, yawning. After feeling herself stop swaying so much, she stood up and made her way to the bathroom. Man, she still felt drunk. She thought a shower might make her feel better, so she turned on the water and brushed her teeth while she waited for the water to warm up. 

Laura looked at herself in the mirror over her sink. She looked a little rough. Her make up was smudged under her eyes, and her hair was sticking up all over the place. She ran her fingers through it and began to undress and climbed in the shower. 

####  \-----------------------------------------------

Laura walked out of her apartment with just enough time to make it to work. The dizziness had not subsided at all throughout the day, and she was dreading having to work like this. Walking was awful, and once she got in her car and began driving to work, she realized that driving was ten times worse. She was even beginning to feel slightly nauseous. This was the worst hang over she had ever had. 

Pulling into her parking spot at the restaurant, Laura put her head on her steering wheel. She only had a few minutes before she had to clock in, but after the 15 minute drive to work, she needed a minute before she could walk again. She absolutely hated being dizzy, and every time she turned her head too fast, her vision blurred and everything started spinning. 

Laura gathered her things and began walking up to the front doors of the restaurant. It wasn't anything big and fancy, just a small steakhouse. It was the best in town, though, so they were always busy. She walked in the doors and went into the kitchen. She saw her manager, Betty, talking to one of the cooks and approached her.

“Hey Laura, you're just in time.” Betty said when she noticed Laura walking towards her.

“About that,” Laura began, “I'm not exactly sure what's wrong with me. I've been so dizzy all day. I was wondering if I could be early out tonight? I know I'm supposed to close, but I don't think I can make it through the whole night feeling like this.”

Betty thought for a moment before nodding, “Sure, just let me find another server to close for you.”

Betty was literally the nicest manager Laura had ever had. She was always so willing to help out if she could, and she didn't usually ask too many questions. Plus, Laura had been serving at the restaurant for almost five years, so she had some credibility. She never missed work. 

The night began as it usually did, slow at first, but as time went on, more patrons showed up. After she had been there for two hours, Betty approached her in the kitchen as she waited on food for one of her tables.

“Laura, I've got one more table to give you, and then you're cut.”

“Oh, thank you so much Betty! I really appreciate this,” Laura said, holding onto one of the counters to steady herself. The dizziness had definitely gotten worse since she had been there. 

“It's not a problem. But you should make a doctor's appointment tomorrow. Get yourself checked out.” 

Laura nodded in agreement and loaded her tables food onto a tray. As she walked out onto the floor, Laura saw SJ walking her last table over to her section. She breathed a sigh of relief. After she got these three tables out, all she had to do was clean up her section and she was home free. 

The next hour passed by without incident, but finally, her last table had paid and they were making their way towards the door. 

“Kirsch,” Laura began, turning towards one of the bussers, “do you think you can bus my table for me really fast? I'm going to run into the back and grab a broom to do the floors.”

“Sure, hottie,” Kirsch said.

Narrowing her eyes, Laura said, “I've told you not to call me that, Kirsch. My name is Laura.”

“Whatever you say sexy lady,” Kirsch called over his shoulder as he walked towards her table.

Laura came back with a broom a minute later and began sweeping her area. Every now and then, she had to steady herself on a table so she could get her bearings. She was actually starting to see spots, and her vision would not clear up no matter what she did. 

“Just get through sweeping, and you can go home and go to bed,” she said to herself. 

She walked to another table in her section and began sweeping around the chairs. There was a couple seated at the booth beside this table, so she was careful not to sweep anything in their direction. She pulled out one of the chairs and noticed a few stray french fries had gotten stuck under the leg of the table, and she bent over with the broom in her hand to try to force them out.

Laura immediately realized her mistake. Her vision started to go black at the edges, and she gripped the edge of the table to try to support herself. It was no use. She felt herself falling backwards as her vision went completely black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just had this in my head and I needed to write it out! I've already got most of the second chapter written, so if anyone actually enjoys this, I'll post it! I probably will anyway but..there's that. Hope you enjoyed reading! 
> 
> If you want, you can find me at heycarmstein.tumblr.com !!


	2. An Unexpected Night

“Hey, little nerd hottie, are you alright?” Laura heard Kirsch ask. 

Groaning, she began to open her eyes. Everything swam in front of her for a second before slowly coming into focus. Kirsch stood at her feet with a worried expression on his face. A few other faces peered around the sides of the booth, all wearing the same worried expression as Kirsch. She felt something shift underneath her back and stiffened.

Slowly raising her eyes to the face lingering above her head, Laura gasped. 

_“I've died and gone to Heaven,”_ Laura thought, _“I didn't just pass out at work. I'm dead, and I've landed on a cloud with my head on the lap of an angel.”_

This woman, whoever she was, had the most perfect features Laura had ever seen on..well..anyone. Her jawline could probably chisel granite, her prominent chin stood out almost defiantly, and those eyebrows, Laura didn't think she had ever seen eyebrows so perfect. She was sure this woman had spent hours plucking them to get the arch that way. She almost wanted to rub her thumb along her jaw to see if it was actually as sharp as it looked.

“Ahem,” the woman cleared her throat and Laura's hand stopped moving inches away from the woman's face. 

Laura let her hand drop to her side, slightly mortified that she was actually going to touch the woman's face. She felt a blush start to creep up her neck. 

“Uhm..cupcake, are you just going to stare at me, or am I going to be able to finish my dinner sometime in the next century?” she said with a smirk.

 _“Now that's just unfair,”_ Laura thought, _“why does her voice have to be beautiful, too?”_

Laura quickly sat up and began to rush out an apology, “I'm so sorry, I-” Just then, the room started to spin again, and she felt herself begin to fall back into the woman's lap.

“Whoa, easy does it, cutie,” the woman said placing a hand on Laura's back. “I don't need you passing out on me again.”

Laura let out a nervous giggle. “Of course not, I'll just-I've already interrupted your date enough. I'm so sorry. Kirsch, do you think you can help me get back to the kitchen so I can sit down?”

“Stop apologizing, creampuff. No harm, no foul,” the woman said. “My _brother_ and I don't mind when pretty girls fall into our laps, now do we Will?”

Laura shifted her gaze to the man sitting across the table. He chuckled. “That's right, kitty, and this one can stay as long as she'd like.”

Laura felt herself blush, and she began to stammer out a response. “No no, I re-really should be getting back to work. I have to finish cleaning my section so I can go home.” The crowd around the booth began to dissipate as people lost interest in what was happening. Kirsch still stood at the table, awkwardly holding two pieces of a broom in his hand.

“Oh crap,” Laura said putting her head in her hands, “did I break the broom, Kirsch?”

Kirsch held the pieces up higher, confirming Laura's question. “You sure did, dude. I've never seen anything so awesome. You went down so fast, and this sexy lady here caught you as you were falling. I'm pretty sure you would've smacked your head on the corner of the table if she hadn't. Dude! She totally saved your life. High five, sexy lady!” 

Kirsch held his hand in the air to the woman, and she ignored it, turning her eyes back to Laura instead. 

“I'm not some gallant hero, so don't get any ideas. I just...didn't feel like wearing my dinner home tonight, so catching you was the....obvious choice.”

Laura wasn't sure, but she thought the woman was blushing slightly. The lighting in the restaurant was so weird, though, so probably not.

“Right, yeah. You didn't just do it for me.” Laura said with a chuckle. She started to stand up from the table with she felt a hand close around her wrist.

“Stay. You don't seem steady enough to get up just yet, so sit until you feel better.” Laura looked up into the woman's eyes and felt a tug in her abdomen. How was she so pretty?

“Okay,” Laura nodded, “but I really should let my manager know what happened. She probably won't be too happy about the broom, or the fact that I'm sitting down on the clock.”

“I'll go get Betty for you, Laura,” Kirsch said. Laura jumped and turned to face him. She had honestly forgotten he was still standing beside her. Something about this woman made her feel like it was just the two of them in the room.

“Thanks, Kirsch,” she said as he walked away to go find Betty.

The woman shifted over slightly to give Laura more room to sit in the booth. Laura looked at her gratefully.

“Thank you, really.” Laura began. She knew she was about to start rambling like she always did when she got nervous, but she didn't know how to stop the words from tumbling out of her mouth. “I'm honestly so embarrassed that this happened. I shouldn't have come to work today. I went out with some friends last night and I may have drank a little too much, and I woke up feeling like crap, but I thought I would be better by the time I had to be here and I wasn't but I still decided to come in. It was really too late for them to try to find someone to cover for me, so I really had no choice. I've ruined your dinner and now I just feel like a complete idiot. You've been so nice to me, and I don't even know your na-”

Laura's words were cut off by a hand covering her mouth. “It's Carmilla. I'm Carmilla. You're seriously making me reconsider letting you sit here, cutie. I didn't know anyone could talk that fast.” 

Laura's eyes were wide, and her breathing was uneven. Why was her heart racing like that? The woman- Carmilla, lowered her hand from Laura's mouth slowly as if she was making sure Laura wasn't going to start talking again.

Just then, Betty walked over to the table. “Hey L, Kirsch told me what happened. Are you feeling okay?”

“Still just really dizzy, Betts. Whatever this is, I'm just sick of it.” Laura answered her.

“Well Kirsch is next to be cut. It'll still be a little over an hour, though. But he said he would be more than happy to drive you back to your apartment. Your car would be fine here in the parking lot overnight.”

“There's no need for her to wait for the puppy to finish. We're almost done here. I can take her where she needs to go,” Carmilla said.

“Oh, I didn't realize you two knew each other,” Betty said, sounding surprised.

“We don't-didn't,” Laura said, “and that's okay, I've already done enough damage to your night. I couldn't possibly make you go out of your way to take me home.”

“It's already been decided, cupcake. Unless riding home with a mysterious stranger is a little too...dangerous for you.” Carmilla said, raising her eyebrows and smirking over at Laura.

 _“Is she flir-it totally seems like she's flirt-no, she's definitely just being nice. There's no way she could possibly be flirting with me, right?”_ Laura thought to herself. 

“No I'm not afraid of like..being pod peopled or anything. I would totally appreciate the ride home. I just don't want to put you out anymore than I already have.”

“Don't you worry your pretty little mind, cutie. Willy Boy and I will just take our checks, and then you and I will be on our merry way.” 

“Excellent!” Betty exclaimed, clapping her hands together. “I'll go find SJ so she can get your checks together.” 

Laura watched Betty's retreating back, wondering if riding home with a complete stranger was really a good idea. What would her father say? She was perfectly practiced in the art of Krav Maga, so she could totally defend herself if need be. 

SJ arrived with two black-books in her hands. She handed one over to Carmilla and the other to “Willy Boy.” 

Carmilla reached into her back pocket and pulled out a money clip. Laura tried not to gape at the amount of 100 dollar bills folded underneath the clip. She tossed one onto the table.

“I've got yours, Will,” she said, “and you can keep the change,” she told SJ.

SJ's eyes opened wide, and she reached forward to grab the money. Grabbing the two black-books off of the table, she stuck the bill inside. 

“Thank you, you two were probably my easiest table all night so I should be tipping you!” SJ said with a laugh.

“No need for 'thank yous', I know good service when I see it,” Carmilla shrugged.

She looked over at Laura expectantly, eyebrows raised. Those perfect eyebrows. “You ready to go, buttercup? Or are we just going to sit here all night?”

“Oh, oh right. Yeah let's uh..let's go,” Laura said, stumbling over her words. Why was she being such an idiot right now? Carmilla was surely going to think she had mental problems. 

Laura made to stand from the booth, and felt a steadying hand on her back. She glanced over her shoulder at Carmilla gratefully. As she stood up, the room tilted slightly to the left and she felt herself leaning to correct it. She grabbed the corner of the table so she wouldn't fall over again.

Carmilla slid out behind her and wrapped an arm around her waist. 

“Let's go, cutie,” she said as she began to take a step forward. “I've got you if you start to fall.”

Laura tried to ignore the warm hand on her hip, and took a few hesitant steps forward. Walking wasn't so bad. She could do this. Slow and steady wins the race, right?

As they were walking out, they ran into Kirsch again. “I grabbed your stuff out of the back. Betty said that Carm-sexy is taking you back to your place.” He handed over her Doctor Who backpack, and car keys. 

Carmilla looked down at the backpack in her hands and rolled her eyes. Laura felt herself begin to blush again. Of course she had decided to bring the Doctor Who bag today. She could have brought her plain black one instead, but no...today just _had_ to be the most embarrassing day of her entire life. 

They made their way out into the parking lot, and began walking towards a matte-black Camaro. It was Laura's turn to roll her eyes. 

Carmilla must have seen her, and she poked her side with her free hand. 

“Is there a problem?” she asked.

“No problem at all. I just should have known that you would be driving one of the most badass cars on the market.”

Carmilla chuckled. “Badass? Well I'm glad that you can appreciate beauty when you see it.” 

She pulled her keys out of her pocket and unlocked the doors.

“Front seat is all yours, cutie,” she said as she opened the passenger door for Laura. 

Laura looked hesitantly at Will. “Isn't he-doesn't he-no..he can have the front seat.”

“I drove myself here. Sadly, I won't be tagging along for what is sure to be a fun-filled car ride,” he responded, sounding bored.

Carmilla ushered Laura into the front seat. “Buckle up, creampuff,” she said as she shut the door.

Laura could hear part of the muffled conversation even as she tried hard to ignore it.

“I'm sorry our night has to come to an early end, brother.” Carmilla said.

“Don't worry about it,” he said shrugging. “I know you can't help but save a damsel in distress.”

Carmilla punched him in the shoulder. “I'm not _“saving a damsel in distress.”_ I'm sure she's capable of saving herself. I just don't mind lending a helping hand when I can. And don't you _dare_ tell anyone I ever said that.”

“Sure, sure. Whatever you say, Kitty.” Will said, rubbing his shoulder and looking wounded. 

Carmilla gave him a quick hug and walked backwards to the driver's side of the car. 

“We'll get together another night. Dinner and a movie? Maybe some shitty shows on Netflix?”

“Sounds like a great idea, Kitty. Drive safe. And don't do anything I wouldn't do.” he said with a wink. He turned and sauntered off to a black truck parked a few spaces away. 

“That's a very long list of things I _should_ do then!” Carmilla called to his retreating back.

She opened the driver's door and climbed in beside Laura. 

“So, where to, sweetheart?” she asked as she put the key into the ignition and started the car.

“My apartment is over off of Kipling Avenue.” Laura answered.

“Kipling? I used to have a few study buddies that lived over in that area when I was in college.” she put the car in reverse and backed out of the parking spot. 

“I hope you don't mind if we don't listen to top 40 hits on the drive. If I have to hear one more Taylor Swift song, I'm going to pull a Britney Spears and shave my head.”

Laura laughed and laid her head back against the headrest, closing her eyes. “I have no preference in music. Anything works for me.”

The sounds of Chopin filled the car. Laura opened her eyes again and turned her head to face Carmilla.

“I didn't take you for a classical music fan.”

“This generation doesn't know how to appreciate good music when they hear it.” Carmilla said, looking over at Laura.

Laura nodded her head in agreement. “I actually grew up listening to classical music. My dad thought I was going to be the next child prodigy and had me in piano lessons at age five, but I just couldn't get my fingers to do what my brain knew they should be doing. So instead, I picked up a pen and paper and started writing. The rest is history.”

“Writing, huh? How did you end up at a cheap steakhouse serving then?” Carmilla asked.

“I've got a part-time gig at Silas Daily, but it doesn't pay the bills by itself.” 

“No roommate to help you out?” 

Laura raised an eyebrow at Carmilla. For a stranger, she sure was getting personal.

“I live by myself. After having a roommate all throughout college, I just needed to be alone.”

“Ah,” Carmilla nodded understandingly. “I know the feeling. Being alone is definitely something I prefer.”

The conversation lulled and Laura allowed her head to fall back and closed her eyes again. She felt really relaxed with this woman even though she probably shouldn't seeing as she had just met her. She started to feel herself fall asleep just as the song changed, and Mozart took over. 

\--------------

“Hey, cutie.” Laura felt a gentle shake over her shoulder. 

She opened her eyes and saw familiar buildings passing by the window of the car. 

“Which apartment is yours?” Carmilla asked.

“It's this redbrick one here on the left.” Laura said, pointing.

Carmilla steered the car into a parking spot in front of the building and cut the engine off.

“Hand me your phone.” she said to Laura.

Hesitating, Laura pulled her phone out of her bag and placed it into Carmilla's open hand.

Carmilla looked at the phone in her hand for a minute. 

“Seriously?” she said with a smirk. “This phone looks like it's from the dinosaur ages.”

“My dad thought I would use an iPhone to send high resolution selfies to potential stalkers.” Laura said blushing again.

“Crappy phone aside, you've gotten lucky, and I'm off work tomorrow. Give me a call when you wake up if you're feeling up to going and picking up your car. Or if you just need a ride somewhere.” she said as she typed on Laura's phone.

She handed the phone back to Laura and climbed out of the car. Was she expecting to be invited in? Laura made to open the passenger door, but snatched her hand back just as the door was opened from the outside. Carmilla reached into the car, holding a hand out to Laura.

Laura looked up into Carmilla's eyes and saw genuine concern in them. The same smirk was on her face, though, so Laura was sure she was trying to play off being worried. She reached up and took Carmilla's hand, feeling a familiar tug in her stomach as their palms touched. 

“Thank you..for everything.” Laura said.

“Don't mention it, buttercup. Just get inside and get some rest. And like I said, call me tomorrow if you need a ride anywhere.” She leaned up against her car as Laura made her way to her front door. 

Laura pulled her keys out of her bag and made to unlock the door to the building. As she walked over the threshold, she turned back to Carmilla and waved goodbye. She could see the faintest hint of a smile playing on Carmilla's mouth as she raised a hand to wave back.

Laura watched her walk around to the driver's side of her car, and climb in the seat. The engine started with a roar, and Carmilla drove away.

Laura turned inside the building, and walked towards the elevators. 

_”Well this turned into a weird night."_ she thought as she waited for the doors to open.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait for an update! I really did have the second chapter almost finished, but I had an extremely busy weekend/Monday! So here is the second chapter! Enjoy!
> 
> And also, thanks to my best friend for being my editor!!
> 
> Carmilla blog- heycarmstein.tumblr.com  
> Personal blog- micanickel.tumblr.com
> 
> Don't be afraid to come say hi!


	3. Breakfast Surprise!

Laura woke up the following morning with an earsplitting headache. She laid in bed, staring at the wall in front of her for a few seconds before she heard the pounding on her front door. She rolled over and looked at the clock on her nightstand. 

7:02 AM. Who the heck was at her door this early?

She rolled to the edge of the bed, and sat up. The room immediately started to tilt, and she groaned in frustration. 

“I am _not_ dealing with this another day. Hang overs don't last two days. This is ridiculous.” she said to herself.

She stood up carefully and started to make her way to the door. The pounding continued as she made her way into the living room.

“I'm coming! I'm coming!” she called and the noise stopped.

As she pulled open the front door, she saw a whirl of red hair before she was almost knocked over by the body caring the hair.

“What the what?!” she said as she tried to steady herself.

“Perr, we probably shouldn't be tackling the girl that blacked out at work last night.” 

Laura looked over the tangle of red hair in her face and saw LaFontaine standing in her doorway. 

Perry detached herself from Laura and held her at arms length, looking her up and down to make sure she was in one piece.

“You had us so worried! Kirsch had posted something on Facebook about you fainting at work and then leaving with a stranger! Do you know what could have happened to you, Laura?”

Laura sighed and made her way over to her couch. She plopped down on it, and looked over at LaF and Perry still standing by the door.

“You two should know by now you don't have to be invited in.” 

Smiling, they made their way inside her apartment, closing the door behind them. 

“I should have known it would end up on social media somehow,” Laura said. “I was just hoping that I could get to you two first.”

“Well you didn't.” Perry said matter-of-factly.

“Okay, but I'm fine. Nothing happened. Carm was very sweet and made sure that I got home safely. She even stayed to make sure I got inside before she drove away.”

“Carm?” LaF questioned.

“Yeah, Carm...well Carmilla.” Laura corrected. She wasn't entirely sure where the nickname had come from. It just felt so natural coming out of her mouth.

“Carmilla? So you brought her to your apartment?”

“Well..yeah, Perr. What else did you think Kirsch meant when he said that some stranger _brought me home_? I wasn't going to have her drop me off down the street so I could potentially black out again outside my door.”

Perry stared at Laura for a few seconds before shaking her head and walking away in the direction of the kitchen. Sounds of cabinets opening and pans being shifted around soon followed. At least she was getting breakfast out of this.

“We didn't mean to come barging in. Perry was just really worried. Especially when you didn't answer any of her phone calls or text messages last night.”

“My phone was dead by the time I came home. I forgot to put it on the charger night-before-last, so it died while I was still at work.” This also explained how she didn't get any notifications from Facebook about Kirsch's post.

LaF shrugged and sat down on the couch next to Laura. They grabbed the remote and turned on the TV.

Laura bent over to grab her Doctor Who backpack so she could charge her phone. As she sat up straight, the room started to spin. 

“Whoa,” she said, leaning her head back on the couch.

Looking at her worriedly, LaF asked “What's up, Laur?”

“I still can't seem to shake this dizziness. I may have to make a phone call to my doctor's office and see if I can get checked out. I'm thinking this is more than just the average hang over.”

“That's probably a good idea,” LaF said. “Hand me your phone, I'll go put it on the charger.”

Laura handed them her phone, mumbled a small 'thanks' and began flipping through channels on the TV. Nothing good was ever on this early in the morning, so she settled for some crappy soap opera. 

The smell of bacon and eggs began to waft from the kitchen, and Laura's mouth started to water. She hadn't realized how hungry she was. 

LaF returned to the living room and perched on the arm of the couch, eyes on the TV. Although the company was unexpected, it was totally not unwelcome. She loved being around LaF and Perry, even if they were sickeningly loving to each other all of the time. 

“Babe?” Perry called from the kitchen. “Can you come help me bring all of this out?”

“Sure thing, hun!” LaF said as they made their way into the kitchen. 

A minute later, they reappeared, carrying a plate piled high with bacon and three forks. Perry was soon to follow with a plate of eggs and three extra plates. 

They ate in silence for a few minutes, the only sounds being those of forks hitting the plates and the soap opera playing on the TV.

“So what are you going to do about your car, Laura?” Perry asked.

Laura looked up at her shyly. “I was hoping that you two could take me to pick it up.”

“No can do, L.” LaF said. “Perr and I both have to work today. Which is why we showed up so early this morning. Had to make sure that you were alive and all,” they said, rolling their eyes towards Perry.

“I wasn't going to be able to focus at all today if we hadn't made sure.” Perry said. “I still don't think it was a good idea to get a ride home from a complete stranger, but I do feel better knowing that you're okay.”

“Like I said before, she was very sweet. I didn't feel scared at all with her.” Laura said indignantly.

"Well maybe just..think a little more next time, Laura." Perry huffed out.

Laura rolled her eyes. "How did you two even get into the building? I didn't buzz you up, obviously."

"We rang your apartment for about two minutes. When you didn't buzz us in, we started randomly hitting other apartments until one of them let us in." LaF said shrugging like this was a completely normal thing to do.

"Why am I not surprised?" Laura said, laughing as she turned her attention back to her breakfast.

They finished eating, and piled on the couch to watch the show on TV. LaF made it a point to make fun of every character that appeared. They secretly loved soap operas, though. 

After the show was over, Perry stood and began clearing the dishes off of the coffee table. She carried them into the kitchen saying “I really wish we could help you out today, Laura, but there's no way either of us can afford to miss work today.”

“Don't worry about it, you guys. Coming over here to check on me and make breakfast was awesome enough.” 

Perry walked back into the living room and looked at LaF. “Are you ready to go, or did you want to stay and watch another episode?”

Shaking their head, LaF rose from the couch. “No, I really need to make sure I have everything ready for work today. Big presentation and all.”

“Oh! Is that today?” Laura asked excitedly.

“Sure is! I really hope everything goes smoothly. If it does, we get the grant to carry on with our experiments. J.P. Is hoping they'll even give us enough to buy all of this fancy lab equipment. He's been browsing catalogs all week.”

“That's great! I know you two will rock it!” Laura said as she began to stand from the couch.

Noticing how unsteady she was, Perry rushed to her side. 

“Are you sure you're alright? I _might_ be able to pull some strings at work and see if I can get the day off.”

“No, no. I'm really okay. I'll just stay on the couch all day until this goes away. I might call my doctor later to see if she can squeeze me in.” Laura reassured her.

“Well there's no need for you to walk us to the door. We'll see ourselves out and make sure to lock the door behind us.”

She gave Laura a quick hug and made her way to the front door. LaF watched her walk away and turned to Laura.

“I'm sure _someone_ would be willing to help you out today,” they whispered teasingly once Perry was out of earshot. 

“I can't call Carmilla and ask her to come pick me up when she already went out of her way last night.” Laura said. 

LaF's eyebrows raised, and they looked at Laura slightly taken aback. “I was talking about Danny. I didn't realize _Carm_ had given you her number.”

Laura felt herself blushing. “Well she..she put her number in my phone when we got here last night. She told me she was off today and could help me out if I needed it, but..I just couldn't ask her to.”

LaF considered this for a moment. “If she offered, she must be willing. I would take her up on the offer. Maybe that was her way of telling you that she wanted to see you again.”

Perry walked back to the couch with a frustrated expression on her face. “Are you coming, dear?”

“Oh, sorry Perr. Just making sure that Laura is all situtated.” They winked at Laura and followed Perry back to the front door. A few seconds later, Laura heard the door open and close as they left.

She settled herself back into the couch. Should she call Carmilla and ask for help? LaF made a good point. This could have been her way of letting Laura know that she wanted to see her again. But it just didn't make any sense. Carmilla was so freaking gorgeous, and Laura..well..no, it just wasn't possible. She faced the TV and immersed herself in the soap opera that was just starting. 

\--------------

Two hours, and two shows later, Laura was beginning to feel the nausea rear it's ugly head again. She slowly got up from the couch and made her way into her bedroom so she could grab her phone.

She came back out into the living room and sat on the couch again. Biting her lip, she opened her contacts and scrolled until she found the name she was looking for. 

Bracing herself, she hit 'dial' and brought the phone up to her ear. The phone rang a few times and Laura began to lose her nerve. She considered just hanging up right before the ringing cut off and someone answered.

 _”Hello?”_ A bored voice answered the phone.

“Uh..hi. Is Carmilla there?”

_“You've got her. Who's this?”_

“It's Laura, Laura Hollis, from..from last night.” Laura answered nervously.

Laura heard a light chuckle on the other line. 

_“Oh, hey there cutie. I was just thinking about you.”_ Her voice had shifted, and was much deeper than when she first answered.

“Oh, heh. Well you uhm..you gave me your number and told me to call if I needed your help today so..” Laura trailed off, blushing.

_“That I did, cupcake. How can I be of service?”_

“Well,” Laura began, “I'm still feeling pretty crappy, and I was kind of thinking that I may need to go to the doctor today to get checked out. I was just calling to see if you'd be willing to give me a ride? If not, I totally understand and I'm sure I can find someone else to take me. I just wanted to ask you because you offered and it's no big deal if you ca-”

_“Whoa whoa whoa. Calm down, kujo. I'd be more than glad to give you a ride. What time is your appointment?”_

Laura smacked her hand against her forehead. Of course she should have thought to make the appointment _before_ she called and asked Carmilla for a ride. 

“I haven't exactly called to make one yet. I wanted to be sure I had a ride secured beforehand.” _Brilliant. Nice cover, Hollis. Maybe she won't think you're stupid, after all._

 _“Hm.”_ Carmilla considered. _“Well I don't have plans as of yet, so if you want, you can just text me the time after you call to schedule?”_

“That sounds great! I'll call them as soon as we hang up!”

_“Okay, cutie. I'll be waiting for your text with bated breath.”_

“Okay, awesome, bye!” Laura said and hung up before she said something to make her sound even more stupid.

Laura brought up the dial pad on her phone and entered the number she had memorized after calling it so many times for her mom.

After ringing a few times, the line picked up and a woman answered, _“Good morning, Dr. Hansford's office, this is Cecilia. How may I help you?”_

“Good morning, Cecilia! It's Laura Hollis!”

_“Oh, hi Laura! How are you doing?”_

“I've been better, actually. I was wondering if there was any way Dr. Hansford could fit me in today?”

Laura heard typing and clicking on the other line as Cecilia checked the schedule. 

_“Actually, we could get you in right after lunch if that's fine with you. Around 1:30?”_

Laura looked over at the clock hanging on her wall. It was almost 11 now. That would give her enough time to text Carm, and get ready before she picked her up.

“That sounds great! I'll take it!”

 _“Alright, let me just pull up your information, and put you down. Do you mind telling me what you'd be coming in for?”_ Cecilia asked as she typed in the background.

“I actually blacked out at work last night. Bad dizzy spell. It started yesterday when I woke up, and it hasn't gotten any better. I'm not entirely sure what it is, but I definitely do not want to let it go any longer than it has.”

Laura heard more typing before Cecilia continued. _“Okay, Laura, I've got you down for 1:30 with Dr. Hansford! We look forward to seeing you!”_

“See you then!” Laura said. 

After she hung up, Laura pulled up a blank message on her phone.

 **Cupcake:** My appointment is at 1:30. The office is about twenty minutes from my apartment, so if you show up around 1, that should give us plenty of time to get there. 

**Cupcake:** And I really appreciate this, Carmilla. I swear I will make it up to you.

Laura anxiously awaited a response, and practically dropped her phone when one came through almost immediately.

 **Carm:** I'll hold you to that, cutie. See you soon ;)

Laura couldn't help the smile forming across her face. She set her phone down on the coffee table, and carefully made her way to her room so she could start getting ready. With as slow as she had to move so she didn't fall over, she knew this was going to take longer than usual. 

\----------

Laura waited impatiently on the couch. It was only 12:40, but she was becoming anxious. She was the type of person that always showed way too early for things. She probably would have already left her apartment had she been able to drive and actually had her car.

Her phone vibrated in her back pocket, and she pulled it out quickly. She was positive it was Carmilla letting her know she couldn't make it or that she was running late. She grinned when she saw the name on her screen.

 **Danny:** Hey, Hollis. I heard what happened at work last night. Are you doing okay?

Laura groaned. Of course Danny had heard. How humiliating.

 **Hollis:** Hey, Danny! I'm still feeling pretty cruddy. Waiting on my ride to my doctor's appointment right now.

 **Danny:** You needed a ride? You should have called me. I totally could have taken you.

This made Laura smile. She kind of wished she had called Danny instead. But it was too late now. Carmilla was probably already on her way, and if she was being honest, she was sort of excited at the thought of getting to see her again. You know..because she was a complete mystery and that fascinated Laura. It wasn't because she was attracted to Carmilla or anything. Definitely not that.

 **Hollis:** Next time I pass out at work, I'll take you up on that! Thanks for checking on me, though. It's totally amazing of you!

 **Hollis:** Amazing as in like..a really nice person who checks on her friends and offers to help when they're in need..like..that kind of amazing.

"Why am I so incredibly awkward?" Laura groaned.

 **Danny:** Thanks. Not that it means much since you don't exactly need my help. But definitely text me later and let me know how everything went.

 **Danny:** Talk to you later, Hollis.

Laura smiled and put her phone into her bag. This time she had made sure to pack the black one instead of her Doctor Who one. Totally didn't want to relive that extremely embarrassing moment again in her life.

She glanced up at the clock again just as she heard the buzzing sound that meant someone was at the building door, and trying to reach her apartment.

She grabbed her bag and made her way to the door.

"Carmilla?" She asked, pressing the button on the speaker.

 _"It's me, cutie."_ Carmilla's sultry voice carried through the speaker. _"You ready to go?"_

"I am!" Laura squeaked out. "I'll be right down!"

She walked out of her apartment door, making sure to lock it behind her.

Laura walked over to the elevator and pressed the button to call it to her floor. She bounced on the balls of her feet while she anxiously waited.

After about thirty seconds, the doors opened and Laura stepped in. Pushing the button for the first for, she took a deep breath and tried to calm her nerves. When the elevator finally reached the first floor and the doors opened, Laura was anything but calm. She could feel her hands shaking and she tried to steady them as she made her way to the main door of her building.

Before she walked outside, she took another deep breath. "Girl up, Hollis. She's just a girl, albeit a rather pretty one, but just a girl nonetheless. You can do this. It's just a doctor's appointment." She lifted her chin confidently, and opened the door.

The sudden glare from the sun caught her off guard, and she stood in the doorway, blinking as her eyes adjusted. Once she could see properly, she looked straight ahead of her to the street, and her breath caught in her throat.

There was Carmilla, leaning up against the passenger side of her car, familiar smirk on her face. Laura's confident attitude flew away in the light breeze that blew around her.

Carmilla was wearing skin tight leather pants, leather boots, and a loose white button up that had a few buttons undone at the top. Just enough to give Laura a nice view of her collar bones and upper chest. She pulled off her aviators, and her smirk grew as she watched Laura look her up and down.

"Your chariot awaits, sweetheart." Carmilla said as she pushed herself off of her car and opened the passenger door for Laura. She bowed and made a sweeping motion towards the inside of the car.

Laura swallowed hard, wiped her palms on her jeans, and made her way down the front steps to Carmilla's car.

"Hey." She said once she got closer to Carmilla.

"Hey." Carmilla responded, smiling down at her. Actually smiling, and dammit if she didn't look even more beautiful smiling. "Hop in, cupcake. We've got an important appointment to make it to."

Laura climbed into the front seat, and got settled as Carmilla shut her door and walked around to the driver's side.

“Buckle that seat belt, creampuff,” she said as she got into the car. “I would hate to have to take an ambulance ride with you to the emergency room if something were to happen. I much prefer a regular doctor's visit.”

Carmilla watched as Laura pulled the seat belt around her body. When she heard the 'click!' that meant Laura was safely buckled in, she put on her own seat belt and started the car. A satisfied smile was playing on her lips.

“So,” she began, “where is your doctor's office?”

“Well it's funny that you brought up the emergency room. Dr. Hansford's office is actually in the towers at the hospital. We'll be pretty close to the ER in case something awful does happen to me!”

“Dr. Hansford? It just so happens that I know her personally. Such a small world,” she said and pulled away from the curb heading in the direction of Silas General Hospital.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm hoping that I can update at least twice a week. Of course this all depends on my work schedule and what not. Adult life is for the birds. Anyway! Glad to see that so many of you are actually enjoying the crap that goes on in my mind! 
> 
> And as always, don't be afraid to stop by and say hello!
> 
> Personal- micanickel.tumblr.com  
> Carmilla- heycarmstein.tumblr.com


	4. Netflix and Chill

Carmilla pulled into a parking spot near the front entrance of the hospital. She sighed and looked over at Laura. “Are you done with all of your questions now, Lauronica Mars?”

“I'll refrain from asking anymore..for the time being,” Laura answered. She had been very intrigued when Carmilla wouldn't answer her after she'd asked how she knew Dr. Hansford. “I realized that I know absolutely nothing about you, and I think if we're going to keep seeing each other, I have the right to know certain things about your life.”

"Seeing each other?" Carmilla repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"You know what I meant. Hanging out. Being..friends." Laura shot back.

“And you think knowing my favorite color, food, movie, and book gives you some sort of insight to my life?” Carmilla asked.

“Oh, it absolutely does! I kind of already figured out that your favorite color is black seeing as that's all you really wear, with the exception of the shirt you have on now, your nails are painted black, and your car is black. Kind of a dead giveaway, if you ask me, but I just wanted to be sure.”

In the twenty minute drive to the hospital, Laura had also learned that Carmilla's favorite food was steak and potatoes (kind of boring but she liked the steak rare, which..gross), her favorite movie was Nosferatu (an old, creepy gothic movie and she didn't feel the need to share why she loved it so much. She said it “spoke for itself” whatever that meant), and her favorite book was..well..anything by Albert Camus.

Laura had tried to ask about Carmilla's personal life without getting too deep, but Carmilla wouldn't budge on holding back that information.

“All in due time, cupcake,” she had responded after Laura started pouting.

They got out of the car and began walking inside. Carmilla put her arm around Laura's waist as they walked. Laura looked over at her and raised her eyebrows.

“Uh...”

“Try not to get all sweaty and delirious,” Carmilla said after seeing Laura's face. “I thought you might need a little support getting inside. You're walking like a college girl at her first party with an open bar.”

Laura looked down at her feet shyly and continued walking. She wasn't quite sure why Carmilla had told her not to get “sweaty and delirious”. She seemed so full over herself sometimes. And it's not at all like Laura was freaking out internally over this _very_ pretty girl having her arm around her. It wasn't the first time this had happened. Carmilla had helped her out to her car the first night they had met. So, no, Carmilla's hand on her hip wasn't causing her palms to sweat and her breath to quicken. And okay! Was Carmilla's thumb making light circles on her hip as they walked? Surely not. It just had to be the walking that caused her thumb to move around.

“Buttercup, I can see your mind whirling over there. Care to share with the class?” Carmilla asked, looking down at her.

“No.” Laura quickly snapped. “I mean..it's nothing..I'm just thinking about the last time I was here.”

Carmilla nodded, but stayed silent. She didn't push Laura any further, and Laura was grateful for that. 

They walked into the lobby of the hospital, and Carmilla turned towards the elevators like she knew exactly where she was going. Laura was under the impression she was going to have to tell Carmilla where Dr. Hansford's office was located, and she opened her mouth to say just that when Carmilla cut her off before she had even started.

“I usually avoid this place like the Black Plague on my days off,” Carmilla sighed. “You're lucky you're cute, otherwise you would've been up a creek without a paddle.”

The elevator doors opened and they stepped in. Carmilla pressed the button for the fifth floor, and the elevator jerked upwards.

“I'm sure I could have found another ride,” Laura responded without realizing that Carmilla had just willing shared a small part of her personal life with her. 

Carmilla hummed in response. The doors opened, and Carmilla pulled Laura out and walked with her down the hallway, thumb still tracing small circles on her hip. 

They came to a door with a plaque that read “Dr. M. Hansford” and Laura stopped dead in her tracks. She took a few steadying breaths, and placed her hand on the handle. Carmilla covered Laura's hand with her own and pulled it away.

“What's wrong?” she asked, concern written all over her face.

“Nothing, I-I just didn't realize that being here would effect me this way. I haven't been in this office since the last time I came with my mother, and let's just say we didn't leave with good news.”

Carmilla looked like she wanted to ask what happened, but Laura shook her head. “Another story for another time. I don't think I could talk about it now anyway. I just want to get in there and find out what's wrong with me.”

Carmilla nodded, and opened the door for Laura. “After you, cupcake.” she said solemnly. 

Laura walked to the counter at the front of the waiting room while Carmilla took a seat behind her. The woman at the window looked up from the form she was filling out and smiled.

“Laura! It's so good to see you again! How's your father?” 

“He's..he's okay. He just moved into a smaller house, which is good. I feel like he's happier there.”

Cecilia clicked her mouse a few times, eyes on the computer screen. She nodded, acknowledging that she had heard Laura speaking. “Alright, I've got you all checked in. You can have a seat and Hayley will be out shortly to take you back. It's good seeing you again, Laura.”

Laura smiled, and turned her back to the window. Carmilla was looking very bored while she flipped through a magazine. Laura walked over to her, and sat down with a huff.

She glanced over at the magazine in Carmilla's hand, and felt a giggle bubble out of her mouth. “I didn't have you pegged for a Miley Cyrus fan.”

Carmilla's head jerked up and she furrowed her brow. “I'm not. This idiot girl. She does all of these stupid antics just for attention. But I've got to give it to her, she's smart. Attention makes money.”

“I do have to agree with some of the things she stands for,” Laura said, earning an exasperated look from Carmilla. “No no! She's like..an extreme feminist, and I can respect that. Plus, she does all of this stuff for the homeless youth.”

Carmilla rolled her eyes, and turned the page of the magazine which featured an article on Taylor Swift and her cats. She scoffed and turned the page again. 

Laura watched her for a minute before realizing that it probably seemed a bit..stalker-ish, and she quickly turned her head to face the TV that was playing in the corner of the room. The volume was turned down so low that she couldn't hear it, but the captions were on so she could read what was being said on the show. She leaned back in her chair, and crossed her legs. 

A few minutes later, the door that lead to the rest of the office opened. Hayley walked out and smiled at her. “Hey Laur, come on back.” 

Laura stood and looked back at Carmilla who hadn't moved from her seat. She nudged her with her foot. “Coming, _cutie_?” she asked, grinning mischievously.

Carmilla looked up at her, smirking and raised an eyebrow. “I didn't think you'd want me to come back. Patient privacy and all.”

“I'm an open book, Carm. There's no mystery hidden in my story.” Laura said, mirroring Carmilla's face. She must have looked ridiculous because Carmilla started laughing.

“Carm? You're giving me nicknames now?” Crap. Laura had slipped up. She wasn't sure how Carmilla would feel about the nickname, so she didn't want to refer to her as that until she knew for sure. And clearly she had been right to wait. Now Carmilla was laughing at her and she could feel her face heating up.

“I didn't mean..I'm sorry. _Carmilla_ , would you like to come back with me to see the doctor?”

Carmilla stared at her for a second before she stood from her chair. She immediately wrapped her arm around Laura's waist again and gestured towards the open door where Hayley stood. “After you, m'lady.”

Laura smiled at her and made her way to the door. Hayley let them walk through first before letting it close after her. “We're just going in this first room here, Laura.”

She led them into the first room down the long hallway, and asked Laura to sit on the table so she could check her vital signs.

Laura climbed onto the table, and tried to calm her breathing. She couldn't remember the last time when she came to this office without feeling nauseous. She saw Carmilla watching her out of the corner of her eye and gave her a small smile. Carmilla returned the smile, and pulled a magazine off of the counter to occupy herself. 

After Hayley was done checking her blood pressure and temperature, she grabbed Laura's chart from the counter and walked to the door of the room. “Dr. Hansford should only be a few minutes. She's actually on time for once and not running behind.”

“We'll be here,” Laura said, leaning back on her hands.

Hayley smiled at her again and closed the door as she walked out.

Laura huffed and Carmilla glanced up at her. “Is there a problem, sweetheart?”

“Just ready to be out of here. It feels weird being here with..without my mo-” 

Before she could finish, the door opened and in walked a woman in a white lab coat. She had Laura's chart opened in her hand and seemed to be reading something. She looked up at Laura and smiled. “Hey, girlie, how have you been?” She walked over and gave Laura a quick one armed hug. 

Laura felt herself start to relax slightly. She really did like Dr. Hansford. She just didn't like the memories tied to this woman. 

Dr. Hansford turned to face Carmilla sitting in the chair who had continued to read her magazine.

“And hello to you too, stranger.”

Carmilla finally looked up from her magazine and her face cracked into a wide grin. “Hey, Doc.”

“It's very weird seeing you here and out of scrubs. But I should have known that you wear black outside of the hospital as well.”

“I chose a place to work where the mandatory uniform color was black for a reason.” Carmilla shrugged.

Laura had followed this conversation with a confused look on her face. “Wait..scrubs, work..black? What are you two going on about?”

Dr. Hansford turned towards her wearing a confused expression as well. “Yes, the nurses who work here have to wear black scurbs, Laura.”

Laura had known this, but she wasn't understanding what any of this had to do with Carm.

“Don't hurt yourself over there, cutie.” Carmilla said, chuckling. “We just met last night, Dr. Hansford. I haven't exactly gotten around to telling Laura that I work here.”

“You-you work here?” Laura stuttered out. 

“That's what I said, cupcake. Over in the main hospital, though.”

Dr. Hansford looked from Carmilla to Laura wearing a shocked expression on her face. “Carmilla is the best nurse that our ER has, Laura. I can't believe she hasn't told you yet. She's normally not so modest about the fact that she's won 'Employee of the Month' every month since she started here.”

Turning to Carmilla, Laura asked “How long have you worked here?” 

“About three years, give or take a few months.”

Laura felt her jaw drop. “Carm! That's..that's 36 months that you've been 'Employee of the Month'!”

“It's not a big deal. My picture gets posted on the wall, I get a parking spot close to the building, and a bonus each month.”

“Wow. Carmilla Karnstein. I am shocked. You usually love to brag about how many times you've won, and all of the fancy perks you get, and here you are acting all casual about it.”

Laura noticed a blush was beginning to creep up Carmilla's neck. “I'm not-I just-this appointment isn't about me! We're here to find out what's going on with her!” She pointed to Laura. 

Dr. Hansford looked at Carmilla for a few more seconds before turning to face Laura again, shaking her head. 

“She's right. Tell me what's going on, Laura,” she said as she took a pen out of her coat, and perched it over her open chart that she had set down on the counter.

Laura recounted the details of the previous night. She hesitated before she told her about the fact that she had been drinking excessively the night before. Dr. Hansford wrote in her chart as she spoke, nodding occasionally to let Laura know she was still listening. 

When she had finished, Dr. Hansford rolled the stool she was sitting on closer to Laura. “Well there are a few things it could be. I can do a little test for one here in the office, but if it's not that, I'll have to send you out to do a few more tests.”

Worried about the answer she was going to hear, Laura asked “What are my options?”

“It's either something dealing with your heart, or vertigo. Two completely different ends of the spectrum as far as seriousness goes. Vertigo can disappear in a few days, or in some serious cases, it could last your entire lifetime. My mother had it for six months once. But most women your age experience it for a few days before they're feeling back to normal.”

“So...I'm guessing vertigo can be tested for here in the office?” Laura asked nervously.

“That's right, and I can do that right now if you'd like.” 

Laura nodded, and Dr. Hansford stood from her stool. She asked Laura to sit so her legs were hanging over the side of the table, and she came to stand in front of her. 

“Okay, I just want you to look at the tip of my nose and shake your head from side-to-side a few times. When you're done, look at the tip of my nose again.”

Laura did this, which made the nausea she was feeling ten times worse, and she tried to focus on the nose in front of her face, but she couldn't get her eyes to stay still. Dr. Hansford nodded, and moved to mark something on her chart.

“Now stand up for me, and hold your arms out straight in front of you.” 

Laura stood, and held her arms out, feeling a little silly as she did so. She could feel Carmilla's eyes on her. She started to lean a little to the left, and quickly moved to correct her balance. As she did that, Dr. Hansford nodded knowingly.

“And the last little test, Carmilla, I'm going to need your help.” Carmilla put down her magazine and came to stand at Laura's other side.

Laura looked sideways at her and gave her a questioning look. Carmilla smirked at her, and turned her attention back to Dr. Hansford. 

“Keep your arms out in front of you, but this time, I want you to close your eyes.”

Laura lifted her arms out in front of her, and she noticed Carmilla lifting her arm to her waist again. She felt her other arm rest on her back. As she began to shut her eyes, she felt the pressure of Carmilla's arms leave her body. She felt herself begin to tilt to the right, and she quickly leaned the opposite way so she wouldn't fall over. She felt Carmilla's arms tight around her again, and her face landed on something warm that smelled impossibly too good.

Laura opened her eyes, and saw nothing but white in front of her face. She felt something warm tickling her forehead, and she lifted her head.

She was in Carmilla's arms, and Carmilla was-whoa, Carmilla's face was way too close to hers. She could see the light flecks of gold in her eyes that she had never noticed before, and wow, Carmilla had some really long eyelashes. She stared at Carmilla for a second, eyes flicking down to her mouth before she straightened up.

Carmilla kept her arms around her until she was sure that Laura was steady on her feet again.

“I'm..I'm okay. Thanks for catching me..again.”

“Always, cupcake.” Carmilla said, her voice softer than Laura had ever heard it. 

“Alright!” Dr. Hansford said, making Laura jump and turn around. She was just finishing whatever she had been writing in Laura's chart and didn't seem to notice the weird moment Carmilla and Laura had just shared. She clicked her pen, and looked up at Laura. “It's just vertigo. Which means you should be feeling back to normal in a few days.”

Laura shook her head slightly to clear it so she could focus on what the doctor was telling her. “What causes vertigo? Just so I know how I can avoid getting this in the future.” 

“Vertigo is essentially an inner ear infection. In simple terms, you have these really tiny hairs inside your ear, thousands of them. These hairs are in a fluid, and they sway with your body. They tell you which way you are leaning and so forth. With vertigo, you have a few of those hairs telling your body that you're leaning one way, and all the other hairs say that you're leaning the other. Things get confused and this is where the dizziness comes into play. Passing out isn't usually a symptom, but in some cases, it can happen.”

Laura struggled to understand all that the doctor had just said. This was so much information to take in. “Okay, so..tiny hairs..fluid..I think I understand. What can I do to fix it?”

“There's no real cure for it. The best I can do is prescribe you a medication that will help with the dizziness and nausea, but it will make you sleepy so no working while you're taking it.”

“I'm off tonight, so I'll be fine for today. I am supposed to work tomorrow at the restaurant, though. I can try to find someone to cover my shift. Everyone has been really understanding, so I'm sure someone will.”

“I'll have the girls at the front write you a note to excuse your missing work.” She pulled a prescription pad out from her lab coat and scribbled something illegible on it. She pulled of the sheet she had written on and handed it to Laura. “Take that to the pharmacy, and get it filled. It's cheap, so you won't have to pay an arm and a leg. You can take it up to three times a day. No driving while you're taking it. So I hope Carmilla here is willing to help you get around for the next few days.”

“Absolutely,” Carmilla said. Laura turned to look at her and noted the serious expression on her face. She was taking in every word the doctor said. She smiled, thankful that she was here with her, and hoping that she'd be willing to explain things a little slower once they left. 

“Well you're all set, Laura. I'll take your chart to the front so they can get you all checked out.” With that, Dr. Hansford walked out of the room, leaving Carmilla and Laura alone.

Carmilla turned to leave the room, and Laura grabbed her wrist quickly. She turned her head and looked down at Laura's hand on her arm before raising her eyes to look at Laura.

“Thanks for coming back with me. It..well..it helped make this a lot easier for me.” Laura let go of Carmilla's wrist and looked down at her shoes.

Carmilla stepped to her side, and put her arm around her waist again. She gently nudged Laura. “Let's get that medicine and get you home.”

\--------------

They pulled up outside of Laura's apartment 45 minutes later. Carmilla had made sure that they stopped at a pharmacy on the way back so they could get the medicine that Dr. Hansford had prescribed.

“Home safe and sound, cutie.” Carmilla said as she cut the engine of her car off. She turned slightly in her seat and smiled over at Laura.

Laura picked up her bag, and put her hand on the door handle. She made to open the door, but hesitated. She slowly turned back to Carmilla.

“Do you..maybe want to come inside and watch some crappy movies on Netflix with me?”

Carmilla's eyes widened slightly, and she looked down at her hands in her lap before she quietly answered. “I think I might like that very much.”

"Okay, awesome." Laura rushed out, feeling giddy.

Carmilla opened her car door, got out, and practically ran around the front of the car to Laura's side so she could open her door. As she pulled open the door, Laura gave her a wide grin and was shocked to get one in return. 

They walked in silence up the few steps to the building door, and Laura stopped to fish her keys out from the bottom of her bag. After watching her for about thirty seconds, Carmilla sighed and took her phone out of her back pocket. The flash on the back of the phone lit up, and she aimed it towards the bottom of Laura's bag. 

“What the frilly hell is all of this stuff?” She asked, seeing all of the crumpled papers shoved in Laura's bag.

Laura continued to dig through the papers as she answered Carmilla. “Notes on articles I've worked on. Rough drafts. Blank paper in case I come across a thrilling mystery.”

“Why do you carry all of that around with you?”

“I usually don't. This is my work backpack. My..my Doctor Who bag is the one that I use when I'm off work but I knew I'd never hear the end of it if I brought that with me today.”

“I didn't say anything about it last night,” Carmilla responded, sounding slightly wounded.

“Yes, but I saw your face when Kirsch brought it over to me-AHA!” She shouted, triumphantly. She shoved her fist in the air, and Carmilla looked up to see a set of keys dangling between her fingers. 

“Perfect. Unlock the door.”

“Someone sounds a little _hangry_.” Laura giggled.

Carmilla gave her a look that clearly said she was unimpressed. “Hangry?”

“Don't tell me you've never heard it used before? Hangry! Hungry and angry! It's a term that is used to...ya know what? Nevermind. Let's just get you inside and get some food in that belly.” She reached out and patted Carmilla's stomach. Carmilla stiffened at her touch, and Laura quickly snatched her hand away. “S-sorry.”

She fumbled with the keys in the lock for a minute before finally getting the door open, and lead Carmilla over to the elevator. They stood in awkward silence while they waited for the elevator to come. 

As the doors opened and they walked in, Carmilla turned to the buttons on the wall. “Which floor, cupcake?”

“Three,” Laura said quietly. She was beginning to feel nervous about this. Carmilla was coming up to her apartment. Carmilla, the very beautiful, badass nurse was coming up to her apartment to watch Netflix movies with her. What if she expected more out of this? What if Laura was nothing but a disappointment? What if she had only agreed to come up because she felt pity for Laura and not because she actually wanted to hang out with her? And _oh my gosh!_ was her apartment even clean?! 

Laura had a brief moment to panic about the state of her apartment before the elevator doors opened, and Carmilla was walking out onto her floor. She reluctantly followed and stepped in front of her so she could lead the way to her door.

As they approached apartment 307, Laura looked over at Carmilla. She was being extremely quiet as well, and her brow was furrowed. Laura could tell she was thinking about something just as much as she was. They reached Laura's door, and she pulled her keys out of her pocket, thankful that she had thought to stick them there instead of dropping them back into her bag. 

“Okay so,” she started, slightly embarrassed, “my apartment may be sort of messy. I've been writing and rewriting a lot of articles so I'm sure there's paper everywhere. My backpack should give you some sort of warning about that. I'm bad with throwing things away. Between the restaurant and the paper, I don't really get much time to clean, and I usually don't have company over. With the exception of LaFontaine and Perry, but they don't really count. I may as well give them their own key. I swear they're at my apartment just as much as I am. And there has even been a few times that I've had to give them my key so they could come here and get in without me with them. Perry sometimes comes and cleans for me, but she's been really busy lately at the school and-”

A hand covered Laura's mouth, and she stopped rambling. “That's something we're going to have to work on, creampuff. Open the door, and let's see this supposedly messy apartment.”

Laura mumbled something against Carmilla's hand, and Carmilla pulled it away, scratching at her palm with her other hand. “Don't go on another rant, and I won't cover your mouth again, deal?”

Laura nodded her head. “Deal.”

She put the key into the lock of her door and took a deep breath. “Here goes nothing,” she said more to herself than to Carmilla.

She pushed the door opened and revealed her apartment. As she quickly scanned the room, she realized it wasn't as messy as she thought it was. She sighed in relief. Sure, there was some random pieces of paper around the room, but it wasn't as awful as she was picturing it to be.

Carmilla walked through the door, and looked around her living room. She seemed to be trying to memorize the room. Her eyes took in every detail, and Laura noticed them stop when they landed on her two bookshelves in the corner.

Carmilla gestured to the shelves. “May I?”

“Absolutely. I'll just be in the kitchen seeing what I can find for us to eat.” She turned and left the room as Carmilla made her way over to her bookshelves.

She entered her kitchen and began opening the cabinets. She found a pack of unopened cookies in one cabinet and pulled them out. She opened the package and snacked on a few cookies while she searched for something more substantial for them to eat. The other cabinets didn't contain much. She hadn't really had much time to go grocery shopping, so the choices were limited. She set a loaf of bread on the counter along with peanut butter. She opened the refrigerator found the strawberry jelly she was looking for. 

“Hey, Carmilla?” She called to the living room.

She heard footsteps coming towards her before Carmilla's head peered into the living room. “Yes?”

“How does PB&J sound? I don't really have much else.”

“As long as you have some milk to drink with it, I'm perfectly okay with it.” Carmilla said as she casually leaned against the doorway to the kitchen.

Laura quickly turned back to the refrigerator and drug out the gallon of milk she had. She checked the expiration date, and, seeing that it hadn't gone bad, held it out to Carmilla who walked over to grab it from her. 

“Glasses are in the second cabinet to the left.” She told Carmilla, indicating which one she meant with a knife covered in peanut butter. 

Carmilla opened the cabinet and pulled two glasses down. She set them on the counter and poured the milk into the glasses. She put the cap back on the milk and walked to stick in back in the refrigerator. 

“Is there anything else I can do to help?” She asked as she leaned against the counter, watching Laura make their sandwiches.

Laura finished making the second sandwich, and smiled up at Carmilla. She pulled two napkins from the holder on the counter, picked up the sandwiches, and made her way back towards the living room. “Nope! You get the drinks, I've got the sandwiches.”

Carmilla grabbed the glasses and followed Laura out into the living room. Laura walked over to the couch and set the napkins down on her coffee table. She placed one sandwich on each delicately. Carmilla sat beside her on the couch and handed Laura her milk.

Laura clicked the TV on, and hit the button on her remote for Netflix. As it started up, she turned to Carmilla. “What do you want to watch?”

Carmilla shrugged and took a bite of her sandwich. “I don't mind.” 

Laura turned back to the TV and began scrolling through their choices. She had gathered from earlier conversation that Carmilla was a big scary movie buff, so she went to the thriller menu and began looking through titles. She came across “Horns” and looked excitedly at Carmilla.

Carmilla rolled her eyes and nodded her head while chewing her sandwich. Laura squealed a little and pressed play. She had been dying to watch this, and not just because Daniel Radcliffe was the lead. She didn't know they had it on Netflix, and she was so excited to find it. She didn't like to watch scary movies alone, so she never really went to the horror or thriller sections that Netflix had. 

The movie started and Carmilla rose from the couch. She walked into the kitchen and Laura followed her with her eyes. A few seconds later, she reentered the living room and walked back to the couch. She dropped something into Laura's lap and sat back down beside her and kicked off her shoes. 

Laura looked down and saw that it was her prescription from the pharmacy. She smiled over at Carmilla. “Thank you. For getting these for me, and for everything today. You've been more help than you know.”

“Don't expect it all the time, cupcake. You're just sort of adorable when you're helpless so...” her voice carried off and she blushed a little. She cleared her throat and stretched her legs out over Laura's lap. Putting her arms behind her head, she laid down across the couch, looking perfectly content and at peace. Laura took one of the pills before completely relaxing into the couch. 

Halfway through the movie, she felt her eyes start to close. Carmilla must have noticed too, because she quickly sat up and grabbed a pillow. She moved around until she was in a comfortable sitting position, put the pillow in her lap, and patted it while looking at Laura.

“C'mere,” she said softly. Laura noted that it was the same voice she had used earlier in the doctor's office.

Laura smiled groggily over at Carmilla, and laid her head on the pillow in Carmilla's lap. She felt one of Carmilla's arms drape across her body, while the other pushed softly into her hair at the back of her head.

Laura sighed happily, and let her eyes fall closed. The last thing she remembers was Carmilla humming quietly while she played with Laura's hair, and the sound of Daniel Radcliffe's voice playing on the TV.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Netflix and chill actually being Netflix and chill!! I couldn't resist with the title. I mean..come on. It needed to be done. I'm loving the way this story is developing, and I keep getting more and more ideas for chapters later down the road so I'm having to write little pieces of them down so I can remember everything. Needless to say, I'm enjoying writing this story. Thanks for reading, guys.
> 
> As always, don't be afraid to come say hello!
> 
> Personal- micanickel.tumblr.com  
> Carmilla- heycarmstein.tumblr.com


	5. Uneventful Days Off

Carmilla looked down at the golden hair splayed across the pillow in her lap and sighed. She had only known Laura for one day, and not even a full one at that, and already Laura was making her _feel things_. Carmilla shuttered at the thought. Sure, she was compassionate. That was why she chose to work in the medical field as a nurse. She loved taking care of people. And yeah, maybe Will had a point last night when he said something about her having a thing for damsels in distress, but she was never going to admit that to anyone but herself. 

Still, there was something different about this naive girl. Outside of her immediate family, Carmilla didn't make attachments. She had seen too much death and destruction at the hospital she worked at, and she saw what those deaths did to the family members of the deceased. But none of those memories stopped her from wanting to find out everything she could about the girl sleeping comfortably in her lap. 

She turned her attention back to the TV and tried to pay attention to the movie that was coming to an end. She couldn't focus well enough to understand what was happening, and after about five minutes, she gave up and looked over at the bookshelves in the room. 

She glanced down to Laura, making sure she was sleeping heavily enough, and shifted the pillow off of her lap so she could stand up. She walked over to the bookshelves, and began looking for something to occupy her mind while she waited for Laura to wake up. She made her selection and made her way back to the couch. She set the book down on the arm of the couch, and slowly lifted the pillow under Laura's head so she could sit back down.

Laura groaned as Carmilla squeezed underneath the pillow and moved it back into her lap. She rolled over so she was facing the couch, and her head fell forward off of the pillow. Her face pushed into Carmilla's stomach, and Carmilla stiffened. She looked down to make sure Laura was still asleep, and seeing that she was, let out a slow breath. She pulled the book over in front of her and rested it on the pillow that Laura was no longer using. 

She was twenty pages in when Laura moved the arm that wasn't curled underneath her, and brought it around Carmilla's back, pulling herself closer to her. Laura sighed, seemingly content, and nuzzled her face into Carmilla's body even more. 

Carmilla felt and heart rate pick up and raised an eyebrow as she looked down at the girl. _“She is going to kill me.”_ she thought. She shook her head and continued reading the book she had in her hands. 

After an hour and a half reading, Carmilla was beginning to feel _restless_. Her days off from work were so few and far between that she normally spent them running errands. She never had a day where she could just _sit_ so she definitely wasn't used to this. She put the book down back beside her and began thinking. She couldn't just leave Laura. Well, she could, but Laura needed her help today, and frankly, Carmilla was enjoying spending time with her..even if she had been sleeping for a good amount of that time. She knew that Laura had nowhere near slept off the medicine she had taken for her nausea earlier, so waking her up to do something was out of the question. 

It was actually starting to get pretty late and Carmilla could feel her stomach getting ready to growl. That PB&J from earlier wasn't holding her over very well. She needed real food, and she needed it soon. She bit her lip and looked down at the sleeping girl in her lap again. Laura wouldn't even notice if she left. A quick trip to the store down the road, she'd be back in a half hour at the most, and then she could wake Laura up with dinner.

Perfect. 

Carmilla reluctantly lifted Laura's head out of her lap, and stood up stretching. She hadn't realized how stiff she had gotten sitting in one position for so long. She glanced around the room and spotted Laura's key rings on the small table by the front door where Laura had tossed them when they arrived to her apartment. 

She found a blank piece of paper and a pen among all of Laura's things for the newspaper, and wrote a quick note in case Laura woke up while she was gone. She placed it on the table directly across from Laura's head, tilting it against one of their glasses from earlier so Laura would see it if woke up and rolled over.

She grabbed her car keys off of the coffee table, and walked out the front door, making sure to turn the handle as she closed it so Laura wouldn't hear it and wake up. 

–  
Laura woke up to a slowly darkening room. She rolled over with a groan and noticed a piece of paper folded on her coffee table directly across from her. In the light of the room, Laura could just barely see something written on the paper. She picked it up and pulled it closer to her face so she could see the writing better. 

In neat, curling handwriting, the paper said:

_Cutie,_

_You looked so peaceful sleeping, that I couldn't bear the thought of waking you just to tell you I was leaving. I went down to the store to grab some groceries so I could make us dinner. I noticed your lack of anything other than cookies in your cabinets earlier so I didn't bother seeing if you had what I needed. I shouldn't be gone too long, but if you wake before I come back, you fell asleep around the 1 hour mark of the movie. Turn it back on, lay your head down, and relax. I'll be back before you know it._

_Carm ;)_

Laura smiled to herself, and grabbed the remote off of the coffee table in front of her. She selected the movie, and skipped ahead to the point that Carmilla said she had fallen asleep earlier. 

She was just beginning to fall asleep again when she heard a key turning in her lock, and the door opened. Carmilla walked in carrying bags overflowing with groceries. She dropped the keys on the table by the door, and walked towards the kitchen, humming quietly. Laura sat up and made to go into the kitchen.

“Don't even think about it, cupcake.” Carmilla's voice said from the kitchen. “You need to stay put. I can guarantee that medicine is still doing a number on you, and I don't need a clumsy girl stumbling around in here while I cook.”

Laura heard cabinets opening and things being put away while Carmilla was talking. “But I want to help-”

Carmilla cut her off, “Absolutely not. I think I can find my way around in here easily enough. Plus, these cabinets are so empty, I don't have to figure out where things go. I can just put them wherever I want them to go.”

“I haven't had time to go shopping,” Laura said frowning. She sat down on the couch dejectedly. 

“Which is why I just did it for you,” Carmilla said, her voice getting closer to Laura. She came and stood in front of Laura. “No need to look so downtrodden, cutie.”

“I want to help. I feel weird just sitting here letting you do everything. Especially in my house. I should be doing _something_.” She looked down at her hands so Carmilla wouldn't see her continue to pout. 

Carmilla reached out and pulled her chin up so she could see her face. “You really want to help, huh?”

Laura nodded eagerly. “Yeah, I can..well I can't really cook, but I'm sure you can show me some stuff.”

“Oh, I can show you quite a few things.” Carmilla winked.

Laura blushed and looked down at her hands. She really wasn't good with this whole “flirting” thing. Especially not with someone as forward as Carmilla. Her and Danny would occasionally flirt. But it was usually just them calling each other “geniuses” or saying that the other was “awesome and amazing”, well she thinks that's how they flirt. This was _real_ flirting, though, and she didn't know how to respond to it.

Carmilla seemed to like her reaction because she began lightly chuckling. Laura looked up into her eyes again, and Carmilla's laughing immediately stopped. She licked her lips and looked down at Laura's. They stared at each other for a few seconds before Carmilla shook her head, looking dazed.

“Uh, cooking. Right. I don't want you in there walking around. That will make me too anxious. But you can sit at the table in there and help me by peeling potatoes?” She said it as a question, unsure if Laura was willing to accept that as her job.

“Yeah! I can peel a potato like a champ!” _“A little too enthusiastic, Hollis. Dial it back some.”_

Carmilla smirked and grabbed Laura's hand from her lap. “Alright then, buttercup. Let's get cooking.” 

She held Laura's hand until they entered the kitchen. She let go, to Laura's disappointment, and walked over to the sink.

Turning to Laura, she said, “I'm just going to wash these off.” She held up a potato out of the sink, showing Laura what she was indicating to. “And then you can take over and peel them, _champ_.” She began running the potato in her hand under the water coming out of the faucet. 

Laura sat down at the kitchen table and watch her work. Carmilla was still an absolute mystery. She did find some things out about her today, sure, but there was so much more that Laura wanted to know. There was something about the way that Carmilla carried herself, something in her mannerisms that made Laura even more curious about her. Laura began to feel her journalistic nature take over, and she smiled. Carmilla was going to be her hardest case to crack, she could feel it, but she somehow knew that she would also be the most exciting. 

–

“Steak and potatoes? Seriously, Carm?” Laura said as she looked down at the plate Carmilla had set in front of her.

“What's wrong, cutie? You don't like what I've prepared for you?” Carmilla looked across the table at her with a hurt expression on her face.

“No, no!” Laura quickly responded. “This is fine. I just think you're kind of..silly.”

Carmilla considered this. “I don't think anyone has ever referred to me as _silly_ before. I'm not sure how I feel about it.”

“Well it's certainly not an insult if that's what you're thinking. Silly is one of the highest compliments I give out. I don't call just anyone silly.”

“I should take it as a compliment?” Carmilla asked, raising her eyebrows at Laura.

“Yes, absolutely. Silly is... _cute_.”

“Oh well then forgive me for getting my feelings hurt. I'll take you calling me cute any day, cupcake.”

Laura chuckled and took a bite of her potatoes. “Wow, Carm. These are like..really good.”

“Don't sound so surprised.” Carmilla said darkly.

“Not surprised, exactly. I just didn't expect these to take like anything other than normal roasted potatoes, but they're amazing. My compliments to the chef.” Laura winked at Carmilla and noticed that she blushed a little before she looked back down at her plate.

“Thank you,” Carmilla mumbled.

Laura chuckled and continued eating. The steak was much better than she had anticipated as well, and she told Carmilla so, earning another blushing “thank you” from her.

After they finished eating, Laura insisted on doing the dishes while Carmilla sat at the table and watched.

“This was sort of a rule in my house. If my dad cooked a meal, my mom would do the clean up and vice versa. Of course I always ended up helping whoever was cleaning because I wasn't able to help much with cooking before my mom...uhm...my dad was worried that I would burn the house down. He did end up letting me cook eventually, though.” Carmilla noticed Laura's hesitation, but didn't comment on it. She wasn't about to push Laura into telling her things that she wasn't ready to talk about yet. 

They chatted about grade school and college while Laura washed the dishes. Carmilla wasn't surprised to find out that Laura was a teachers pet in school. Exactly the type of girl that Carmilla would have made fun of. Laura figured that Carmilla was the typical badass, punk rock kid who only did the bare minimum of what was required to pass her classes, but she was pleasantly surprised to find out that Carmilla was a straight A student and graduated almost at the top of her class. 

“I wasn't a kiss up by any means. I think I actually scared most of the kids I went to school with so I didn't have many friends to distract me. Maman was kind of strict about school as well, so I didn't have much free time.”

“I can just see you now. All black leather, and heavy eye liner. Brooding in the back of your classroom, but secretly a nerd.”

“Remind me to show you my yearbook photos. You're pretty dead on with that description.” Carmilla said laughing. 

“I wish we had gone to the same school. I probably would have forced you to be my friend. I usually gravitated to the loners. It always made me so sad to see someone being left out.”

“Ah, well in that case, I'm glad we _didn't_ go to the same school. I wasn't the type that liked being forced into anything. I played along with my mother's ridiculous study schedule because I enjoyed learning.”

“Maybe in some alternate universe we would've been college roommates. We would have hated each other because you were such a slob, and extremely rude to all of my friends.”

“Don't tell me you subjected your roommate to a passive aggressive chore wheel? I definitely would not have played along with that.”

“Hey! Don't talk about chore wheels like that! They actually work! And I'll have you know that my roommate _loved_ the chore wheel I made for us.” Laura stuck her tongue out at Carmilla, causing her to start laughing.

“I had you pegged right from the start, cutie.” Carmilla said, and stuck her tongue out to Laura as well.

Laura laughed as she finished drying the last pan, and put it back in the cabinet where it belonged. “Well I'm all finished in here. Do you want to maybe watch another movie? Since we didn't really get to finish the one earlier?”

Carmilla glanced up at the clock hanging on the wall. “I actually should probably head out. It's getting late, and I have to be up for work in the morning.”

Laura pouted. “Oh, you have to work tomorrow? I kind of thought we could hang out again.”

Carmilla smirked and stood from the table. “You mean you didn't get enough of me today?”

“That's not what I-I just had fun today, that's all.” Laura rushed out. “I'm not going to like..be depressed if I don't see you tomorrow. Maybe we can do it again, though? Soon?”

“Sure, creampuff. I'll let you know when I'm free, and we can work something out.” Carmilla started walking to the door, and heard Laura following close behind. She turned around as she got to the door and looked at her questioningly.

“I'm locking the door after you! Don't look at me like that!” Laura said quickly.

“Oh, I was thinking that you were expecting a goodnight kiss, and I didn't want to have to disappoint you. I don't kiss on the first date.”

“I wasn't-I was just coming to lock-I barely even-I didn't think that I was going to get a kiss-I don't know why you think that I was expecting-” Laura fumbled to form a coherent sentence, and could feel her face heating up the more she talked.

“That bunched up face you make when you're angry is hilarious, buttercup.” Carmilla said, laughing. 

“Angry? I'm not-” Laura began before she was cut short by Carmilla stepping close to her. Like..really close.

“You talk entirely way too much sometimes.” Carmilla reached down and took Laura's hand in her own. She intertwined their fingers, and pulled Laura a little closer to her.

Laura gulped and looked from their hands to Carmilla's eyes. They seemed softer up close, and once again, Laura could see the golden flecks in her irises. She bit her lip and her gaze wandered down to Carmilla's mouth. She could tell that Carmilla was trying not to smile.

Carmilla brought her other hand up to Laura's chin, and tilted her head so she was forced to look into her eyes again. She leaned in closer, and Laura felt her eyes close automatically. Warm breath tickled her face before Carmilla placed the softest of kisses on her cheek.

“Sweet dreams, cupcake.” Carmilla whispered.

Laura felt Carmilla's hand slip out of hers and heard the door shut. She opened her eyes, stared at her closed door. Her cheek was still tingling where Carmilla's lips had touched, and she brought her hand up to cup the area. She walked over to the couch in a daze, and sat down, still holding her cheek in her hand.

She probably should be heading to bed soon, but she wasn't really tired seeing as she had taken a really long nap earlier, so she opted to put some boring sitcom on the TV that she didn't really have to pay attention to. She laid back on the couch and began to replay the night in her head. She couldn't help the smile that formed on her face as she thought about it. 

She ended up nodding off, and woke up an hour and a half later when her phone almost vibrated off of the table. It was almost midnight, she couldn't imagine who would want to get ahold of her so bad. She picked it up, and looked to see who was trying to contact her.

 **LaF:** Laura!! WE GOT THE GRANT!!

 **LaF:** J.P. Just got the phone call!

 **LaF:** They said our presentation was the best they had seen in years!

 **LaF:** YEARS, Laur!! I'm so excited!!

 **PerrBear:** Hey Laura, I'm sure LaF is texting you right now as well, and I really hope they don't wake you.

 **PerrBear:** But they got the grant!! J.P. Just called to let them know!!

 **PerrBear:** Okay, now I hope I'm not waking you up with these messages. I'm just so excited for them! They worked so hard!

The messages continued coming through, and Laura waited for them to stop so she could respond to everything at once instead of having to erase her messages a thousand times while trying to respond to one at a time. Her phone finally stopped going off about two minutes later. She reopened her message threat with LaF, and scrolled through the twenty plus messages they had sent her, the majority just freaking out about how happy they were.

 **LaF:** Anyway, Perry is getting mad at me because she thinks I'm going to wake you up, and I would feel terrible if I did since you haven't been feeling well.

 **LaF:** Although I should continue to text you so you can wake up and tell me about your day with Carm ;)

 **LaF:** We're celebrating this weekend. Big party at our house. You can bring her if you want. I'm sure it'd be as good a time as any to meet this mysterious woman.

 **LaF:** Alright, goodnight Laura. Sorry if these woke you up.

 **PerrBear:** I'm sorry, Laur. I tried to get them to stop ages ago, but they wouldn't. I'm sure they told you though. Party this weekend. Bring Carmilla. I need to meet her, so I can see if I approve :)

She started a group message with LaF and Perry to make responding faster.

 **Laura:** You two are ridiculous. Even if I was asleep, those messages would have woken me up. 

She didn't want to make them feel bad for actually waking her up.

 **Laura:** I'm so excited for you, LaF! Let me know the details of the party, and I'll see if Carm would be willing to go! I'm off to bed though, so please don't blow up my phone again haha goodnight and congratulations!!

She sent the message, and pulled up her thread with Carmilla.

 **Cupcake:** My friend, LaF, just found out that they received this really awesome grant for..science! I wish I could explain exactly what it's for, but I'm not entirely sure. You can ask them yourself when you meet them this weekend! They're throwing a celebratory party and practically demanded that I bring you.

 **Cupcake:** So. You're coming.

 **Cupcake:** I mean..if you want to.

 **Cupcake:** If not, it's totally cool. I didn't already tell them you were. Just that I would mention it to you.

 **Cupcake:** Right so...goodnight Carm.

 **Carm:** You're really trying my patience, cutie. I don't enjoy being woken up to my phone freaking out on my bedside table. 

**Carm:** Did you really just send me five separate messages because of a party?

 **Carm:** What am I saying? Of course you did. 

**Carm:** I'm off this weekend. Tell your friend I'll be there.

Laura squealed excitedly and quickly typed a response before Carmilla could fall asleep again.

 **Cupcake:** I'm sorry I woke you, but YAY! Goodnight, Carm!!! :)

She hit the lock button on her phone, and made her way into her bedroom. She undressed and crawled underneath the covers, sighing as her head hit the pillow.

As she started to feel herself fall asleep, she couldn't help thinking that today was one of the best days she had in a really long time. Maybe this _vertigo_ wasn't as bad as she thought. 

–

The next few days passed uneventfully. Laura ended up having to get two shifts covered at the restaurant because she still could not walk without feeling like she was going to fall over at any second.

The day before LaF's celebration party, she had an unexpected visitor at her apartment. She was laying on her couch watching the newest episode of Master Chef that she had recorded the night before when someone began knocking on her door.

She debated ignoring whoever was there and letting them leave, but her phone started ringing on the coffee table before she had made up her mind. Danny's picture showed up on her screen, and she picked up the phone while she walked to her door.

“Hey, Danny. Hang on just a sec. There's someone at my door.”

She pulled open her door and saw a towering redhead smiling down at her with her phone in her hand. 

“Hey, Hollis. I haven't heard from you in a few days, so I wanted to drop by and make sure that everything was going okay.”

“Oh,” Laura said, slightly taken aback. “Yeah uhm..everything's fine. I've just been sort of..lazy the past few days.”

They stood awkwardly in the doorway for a few seconds before Danny spoke up again.

“I brought burritos over.” She held up a bag she was holding in her hand that Laura didn't notice before. “I thought maybe we could hang out for a bit. Can I come in?”

“Right! Sure! I'm sorry, yeah come on in.” Laura moved to the side so Danny could enter her apartment. She closed the door and turned back to face Danny.

“So..coffee table?” Danny asked, hesitantly.

Laura nodded and they made their way over to the table in her living room. They sat beside each other, backs leaning against the couch. 

“I kind of remembered what you ordered the last time we all went out for burritos, so I just got that. I hope it's right.” Danny reached into the bag and handed a wrapped burrito over to Laura.

“Thanks, Danny. This is really sweet.” Laura took the burrito and smiled up at Danny.

They ate in silence for a few minutes before Danny turned to Laura. “How did your appointment go? You never messaged me back the other day.”

Laura felt irritated by this, but tried not to show it. “It was alright. I just have vertigo. The doctor said it should go away in a few days, but I'm not too sure. I still feel pretty terrible. I had company the other day after my appointment, so it sort of slipped my mind to write you back.”

“That's okay. I'll forgive you this time.” Danny winked at Laura.

Normally, this would have caused the biggest butterflies in Laura's stomach, but she was still irritated that Danny brought up her not texting back, and the usual butterflies didn't come.

“Did you hear about LaF's grant?” Laura asked around the burrito she was chewing.

Danny nodded. “They told me after they heard. Are you going to their party tomorrow night?”

“Of course I am! I wouldn't miss it for the world!”

“I just thought that you'd want to stay in..since you're still not feeling well. I was going to offer to come keep you company if you wanted.”

“No, no. LaF would never forgive me if I missed it.” Laura said.

“I'm not sure it's such a great idea for you to be going, Laura. You might make youself feel worse.” Danny said sternly. 

“I can make my own decisions. If I didn't think I was up to going, then I wouldn't go.” Laura snapped.

Danny looked hurt and took another slow bite of her burrito. Laura felt bad for snapping at her almost apologized, but before she could, Danny interrupted her.

“Well if you're so set on going, do you maybe want to go together? As like..my date?”

Laura knew she should be feeling crazy excited over this. Danny Lawrence was sitting beside her in her living room, and she just asked her out on a date. Basically. But all Laura could picture when Danny asked was Carmilla's face. 

“I kind of already have someone to go with, Danny. I'm really sorry. LaF asked me to bring her because they really want to meet her.”

Danny's smile dropped off of her face, and she looked down at her hands in her lap. “Who is it?”

“Her name is Carmilla. She brought me home from work the night I blacked out. She was my ride to my appointment the other day, and we hung out afterwards. I think you'll like her.”

“I'm not so sure that's true, Laur.” Danny abruptly stood up from her spot in front of the couch. “I should go. It was nice seeing you, Hollis. Thanks for letting me hang out for a bit.”

Laura watched her retreating back walk over to her door at a loss for words. As Danny pulled the door open, Laura called to her.

“Danny?” 

Danny turned around to face Laura again, a hopeful look on her face. “Yeah?”

Laura stood up and walked over to her. She reached out and took her hand in hers. “Thanks for coming to check on me. It really was very sweet of you.”

Danny squeezed her hand and looked a little happier. “No problem. I'll see you tomorrow night at LaF and Perry's.”

She leaned down and gave Laura a quick hug before walking out the door. 

“Take care!” Laura called to her. She shut her door and walked over to her couch. She sat down on it with a groan and put her head in her hands. That definitely didn't turn out the way she would have liked. 

She laid back on the couch and tried to finish her show without feeling too terrible about Danny. 

The show ended, and she pulled up the guide on her TV to try to find something else to watch. As she was clicking through, her phone began ringing on the coffee table again. She sighed swiped the screen to answer the call without looking to see who it was.

“Hello?”

A sultry voice responded on the other line, _“Hey, cutie. What are you up to?”_

“Oh, Carm.” She sat up on the couch, suddenly feeling self-conscious of how she was laying like Carmilla could see her through the phone. “Hi. How are you?”

Carmilla chuckled lightly. _“I just got off from my shift at the hospital. Just wanted some company on my drive home.”_

Laura felt herself beginning to blush. “You wanted someone to talk to on your drive home, so you thought of me?”

_“You were the obvious choice. I don't know anyone else that can ramble on about useless things the way that you do. Plus, you're more entertaining than anyone else I could possibly talk to.”_

“I don't think it's fair to say that I ramble. I just get very..enthusiastic about things that I like.”

“Well maybe one day you'll be rambling about me then.” Carmilla flirted.

Laura didn't want to admit to her that she already rambled about her to Perry earlier on the phone, so she just laughed. 

“Maybe I will be.” God, she was so awful at flirting.

_“Tell me about your day. What thrilling adventures did Lois Lane partake in today?”_

Lois Lane? Yeah..she liked that nickname. “My day was very dull, actually. I've just been laying around the house watching TV and eating cookies. I called the paper to see if they had any stories I could work on, but, surprise!, they don't.”

Carmilla laughed at her lack of enthusiasm. _“I'm sorry, cupcake. After having your name on the front page, you should almost be happy to take a break. I'm sure you had to work hard to get that spot.”_

Laura gasped. She had forgotten that her story was running today.

“You saw it?!” She asked excitedly. “How did you see it? I don't remember telling you about it!”

_“We get copies of the paper up at the hospital to hand out to patients that ask for them throughout the day. I saw one sitting on the counter during a lull we had, and saw your picture on the front. I may have..kind of stolen that paper.”_

“Carm, you shouldn't have stolen the paper. What if you get in trouble?” She was flattered that Carmilla wanted the paper, but she didn't want her to get in any sort of trouble for it.

_“Cupcake, it was a free paper that we literally give out to patients at no charge. I don't think anyone will be missing it. We usually have quite a few left at the end of the day anyway.”_

Laura breathed a sigh of relief. “Okay so, tell me about you day. Working at the hospital must be more exciting than anything I did here.”

_“It was just your typical, run of the mill day in the ER. Sick patients, dying patients, healthy patients that were just trying to get meds from us. The usual.”_

“Did you save any lives?” Laura inquired.

_“I may have saved one or two. We do what we can while the patients are in the ER, but once they're taken from us, anything can happen to them. They're left in the hands of the staff on the upper floors. I hardly ever hear what goes on when I hand them off to someone.”_

“So you were kind of a hero today?” Laura asked, playfully.

 _“I'm no hero. I was just doing my job.”_ Carmilla responded.

“You're too modest. You literally save lives all day. That's a hero in my book.”

 _“I don't want you to start expecting heroic nurse crap from me. That's not who I am, cutie. I do what doctors tell me to do. I'm just good at my job. That doesn't make me a hero.”_ Carmilla sounded like she was getting upset, so Laura quickly backtracked.

“I'm not trying to upset you, Carm. I'm sorry. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I think what you do is really awesome. Hero or not. You're gaining major brownie points in my book.”

Carmilla sighed, and the line was quiet for a few seconds. _“I guess it's all worth it if it makes me look good in your eyes.”_ She huffed.

“Well there's not really much that you have to do to look good in my eyes, honestly. You've kind of already won me over.”

 _“Is that right?"_ Laura could hear Carmilla's smile in her voice, and she let her shoulders relax a little. She didn't need to make _two_ people upset with her today. Danny was enough. She still had no idea how she was going to fix that.

Laura leaned back and began telling Carmilla about the most recent episode of Master Chef. She wasn't sure if Carmilla watched the show or not, but so much had shocked her on that episode. She just needed to talk to someone about it. 

Laura finished her rant about this week's pressure test. She listened to Carmilla laugh on the other end.

_“Sounds like Gordon Ramsay really upset you tonight, cutie.”_

“He just puts these people through such stressful things. I know he's trying to get the best out of them, but, come on! He can't expect everything to come out perfectly when they have three dishes to make in ninety minutes!”

They sat in comfortable silence for a little while before Laura said “You've been driving for a really long time, Carm. How far away do you live?”

She heard Carmilla let out a shaky breath on the other end of the line. _“Funny story, I've actually been home for about twenty minutes now. I just didn't want to interrupt you and risk getting my head bitten off.”_

Laura gaped at her phone. She pulled it away from her face and realized that they had been on the phone for almost forty-five minutes. 

“Carm! You should have said something. I'm sure you're exhausted and you probably need to shower or something and here I was just blabbing on about some show that you know nothing about. I'm so stupid. I should have asked you a while ago when you'd be home, but I really wanted to talk to you so I didn't even think to do that. I”m such an idiot.”

_“You have a problem with not taking breaths in between your sentences, cutie. I would have said something if I minded being on the phone. But you're right, I am exhausted and I do need to shower. What time am I picking you up tomorrow?”_

Laura had almost forgotten about the party. “Uhm. LaF said they're expecting everyone to get there around six.”

_“Perfect. I'll see you around noon. Goodnight, cupcake.”_

“Noon? Wait, Carm. Why noon?” Her phone lit up, indicating that the call had been ended. She stared at it for minute with a confused look on her face before it vibrated in her hand and a text came through.

 **Carm:** You'll need to wear jeans. I'd hate it if your legs got messed up in any way.

Jeans? What the heck?

 **Cupcake:** Jeans? Why do I need to wear jeans?

She waited a few minutes for a response. When she didn't get one, she sent another message.

 **Cupcake:** Carmilla. Why do I need to wear jeans tomorrow? What do you have planned?

Her phone vibrated in her hand almost immediately.

 **Carm:** Just trust me. I think if you're willing to loosen up a bit, you're really going to enjoy this. Bring something to tie your hair back, too. 

**Carm:** Goodnight, xoxo.

Laura set her phone down on the table in front of her, not feeling any less confused. There was no point in worrying about it right now. Carmilla wasn't going to explain herself any further. She stood up and walked into her bedroom.

After undressing and plugging her phone into the charger on the wall, she crawled into bed, and turned on the TV that stood on the dresser at the foot of her bed. She started up Netflix and found a boring documentary that she could quickly fall asleep to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt like the part at the beginning from Carmilla's POV was necessary. Just to fill in a little. I didn't want to start off with Laura waking up alone. Plus, I think it's nice to explain some of the things going on in her mind so we're not all wondering if everything is one-sided from Laura. I've got a busy weekend coming up, and an even busier week. Although I am free Monday, so hopefully I can knock another chapter out before I get too busy next week. ALSO! The season finale is next week! Who's freaking out about that? Because I know I am.
> 
> As always, don't be afraid to say hi! And maybe send me some of your theories about how you'd like the season to end! I'd love to talk about it with you!
> 
> Micanickel.tumblr.com


	6. Diners and Best Friends

Laura woke up at precisely 7 AM. Two hours before her alarm was supposed to go off. She glared at the clock on her nightstand and turned her back to it. She could make herself fall asleep again. She squeezed her eyes shut and willed herself to sleep.

After tossing and turning for thirty minutes, she gave up. Throwing the blankets off of her with a frustrated sigh, she sat up in her bed and scooted over to the edge. The hardwood floor was cool underneath her feet. She twisted her body until she felt her back pop, and stood up.

 _“Why am I awake so damn early?”_ she thought. 

As she made her way into her bathroom, the memory of her conversation with Carmilla last night came flooding into her head, and she felt herself getting excited. Not knowing what Carmilla had planned for them today was aggravating, yes, but Laura loved surprises. She could not _wait_ to find out what the woman had up her sleeve. 

She turned the water on in her shower and brushed her teeth as she waited for the water to heat up.

–  
An hour later, Laura was lounging on her couch, watching the third season of Orange is the New Black (for the forth time) when her phone started ringing.

She recognized the ring tone and answered immediately.

“Hey, Dad.”

 _“Hey, sweetie. I didn't think you'd be awake this early, but I wanted to try you anyway before I went in to work.”_ Her dad worked at the local police station, and his shifts were always so scattered. She never really knew when he was working. 

“I honestly don't know why I'm up so early. I've been up for an hour.”

Her dad gasped mockingly on the other end of the phone. _“Laura Hollis up at 7? I never thought I'd see the day.”_

“Don't expect it to happen again.” Laura laughed.

_“What do you have planned for the day? Working on some top secret story for the paper?”_

“Actually, no. I'm spending the day with a friend, and then going to LaF's for a celebration party later.”

 _“Celebration party?”_ he questioned.

“Oh that's right! I haven't talked to you since they found out! They got the grant!”

 _“That's great! They must be so excited!”_

Her dad was wonderful, and really so supportive. Laura remembered when she LaF first opened up to him about their gender identification. He was hesitant at first mainly because he didn't really understand it. But LaF was so patient with him and answered all of the questions he had. Now he was more than accepting of everything. Laura had even found things about it in the search history on their family computer, so she knew he had researched it a little. When she asked him about it, he explained that he didn't want to offend anyone. The memory made her feel all warm and fuzzy any time she thought about it. She couldn't have asked for a better father.

“It'll take a lot of stress off of Perry as well. She's been working like crazy at the school, pulling all of these extra chaperoning shifts just to bring in some more money.”

_“Well you be sure to give them the biggest hugs for me, and tell both of them how proud I am.”_

“I will, Dad. Thanks.” Laura stood up from the couch and made her way into the kitchen. She started the process of making hot cocoa, and leaned against the counter while she waited.

_“So who did you say you're hanging out with today?”_

“Uhm...” Laura hesitated. She hadn't gone into extreme detail about blacking out at work. Her dad tended to worry way too much about her, and she didn't want to give him reason to do so even more..especially not about her getting a ride from a stranger. “Just a..just a friend.”

 _“Is it Danny?”_ He knew that she had a crush on Danny, and he was always asking when they were going to get together. He really liked Danny. She was protective, and they could bond over sports and stuff. Things that Laura was never interested in herself.

Laura sighed. “No, Dad, it's not Danny.”

 _“Are you two not talking anymore?”_ he asked knowingly. 

“I'm not sure. I think we're kind of..fighting. She was being a little too... _much_ for me the other day. She didn't really take it too well when I told her that.”

_“She's a nice girl, Laur. She just wants to take care of you.”_

“I know, and that's exactly what I don't want. I have a dad, I don't need another one.”

There was silence on the other end as her dad thought about what she said. _“Well that's true. You've got a pretty awesome dad, if I do say so myself.”_ He chuckled at his own joke.

Laura rolled her eyes and pulled her Doctor Who mug from the cabinet in front of her. She poured the cocoa into the mug, and sat at her kitchen table.

“I can take care of myself just fine. I've been living on my own for two years now, and that's not including the two I spent in the dorms at Silas, or the other two that I lived with LaF and Perry.” 

_“I know, kid. But you can't blame a guy for wanting his daughter to be with someone that he can trust to keep her safe.”_

“You're right, I can't.” Laura took a sip of the cocoa and burnt her tongue. So much for being able to take care of herself. 

_“So tell me about this new friend. Am I going to meet her?”_

It seemed a little early in the..whatever her and Carmilla were..to bring her home to meet her dad, but she couldn't deny that she liked the thought of doing so. 

“Maybe one day. I've only just met her, and I'm trying to get to know her myself. I don't want to scare her away by introducing you to her,” Laura teased.

 _“Hey,”_ Laura's dad said, sounding hurt, _“I'm not so bad.”_

Laura didn't want to tell her dad that she was worried he wasn't going to approve of her. Carmilla had such a standoffish attitude. She wasn't sure how she was around..well anyone other than her, actually. 

“Give me some time to get to know her more, and I'll bring her over,” she promised.

Her dad hummed his approval. _“Alright, kiddo, I've got to head to the station. Have fun, and be safe today, okay?”_

“Of course, Dad.”

They said goodbye, and Laura tapped the red button on her phone screen, ending the call. She downed the rest of her cocoa and went back into the living room to finish the episode she had been watching.

–

Carmilla arrived at her apartment at exactly noon, and buzzed the front door of her building. Laura quickly checked herself over in the mirror before making her way to the door. 

She was locking the deadbolt to her door when the elevator dinged open down the hall.

“Well well well,” a voice sounded from the open elevator door. She looked up and saw Carmilla sauntering over to her. She was wearing those damn leather pants again. This time they were accompanied with a tight fitting black v neck, and a leather jacket. Laura looked her up and down before bring her eyes to Carmilla's face.

Trade-marked smirk in place, she said, “I hope you're ready for our thrilling adventure today.”

Laura dropped her keys into her bag, and threw it over her shoulder. “I might be a little more excited if you had given me any hints as to what we're doing.”

“That takes all the fun out of things, cutie. You're dressed appropriately, though. I was a little worried that you would decide to be rebellious and wear a dress or something.”

Laura sputtered out a response. “I-I wouldn't have worn a dress just to be.. _rebellious_.” She was lying. She had actually put a dress on with all intentions of going against what Carmilla had told her to wear, but she changed into her best fitting skinny jeans, black tank top, and red flannel twenty minutes ago. 

Carmilla lifted her eyebrows. “At least we know you can follow directions. Come on, the surprise is waiting downstairs.” She held out her hand to Laura, who took it nervously.

They stepped into the elevators, and Carmilla smiled down at Laura. “Scared, Hollis?”

Laura scoffed. “You wish.” She was lying again. Absolutely lying. Carmilla seemed so dangerous, so of course any surprise from her was going to scare Laura. She was probably planning a lovely picnic in an enclosure full of panthers or something. 

They reached the door to exit the building, and Carmilla stopped shy of the door. She turned to face Laura. 

“If you really don't want to do this, just tell me and I can figure something else out. I think if you let yourself go a little, you'll really have fun.”

Was she-did Carmilla actually look nervous now, too? Laura shook her head slightly. Maybe it was a trick of the lighting or something.

“Just show me what you've brought with you, Carm.” She tugged her hand and made to walk out the door. 

Carmilla stepped in front of her, blocking her exit. “Close your eyes, and trust me. I'll get you down the steps safely.”

Laura glared at Carmilla for a few seconds before shutting her eyes. Her other senses were on high alert, and she heard the quiet groan of the front door as it opened. Her eyelids glared bright red with the sun shining on them. She felt Carmilla step in front of her as she released her hand. Laura was slightly disappointed with that until she felt hands on her hips. 

“Two small steps forward, and then step down.” Carmilla said, guiding her gently down the stairs. Once her feet were on solid ground, Carmilla snaked her arms around her waist, and turned her around. 

“Okay, open.” She demanded.

Laura opened her eyes, and stared at her apartment. She furrowed her brow and looked at Carmilla. 

“I'm confused. The surprise is my apartment?”

Carmilla grinned at her mischievously. “No, silly. The surprise is behind you. Turn around.”

Laura whipped around, and her mouth fell open in shock.

In front of her was a beautiful motorcycle. All black and shiny. Two helmets hung from the handlebars. She glanced over at Carmilla who was watching her carefully. This shouldn't have come as a surprise. Carmilla and a motorcycle. It made perfect sense now that she thought of it.

“Are we-is this-do you expect me to ride on this death trap?”

Carmilla sighed and walked over to stand beside the motorcycle. “Like I said, I think you'll enjoy yourself if you relax a little bit.”

Laura pulled her bottom lip in between her teeth nervously. “I'm not sure. My dad would kill me if he found out. He's always ranting about crazy kids and motorcycles.”

“I'm no stranger to those stories. I work in the ER, remember? You couldn't be in better hands, though. I'll be really careful. I've been riding for years.”

Laura glanced from the bike to Carmilla again. Maybe she was right. She watched Carmilla grab one of the helmets off of the handlebars, and place it on her head. She strapped it on and pulled sunglasses out of her jacket pocket.

Carmilla swung her leg over the motorcycle and turned to face Laura.

"Coming, cutie?" She asked as she held out a helmet.

Laura bit her bottom lip again, pondering for a minute before she made up her mind.

"Let's ride." She took the helmet from Carmilla's hand and slammed it on her head. Once it was securely strapped on, she climbed on the bike behind Carmilla before she lost her nerve

Carmilla grinned. "Hold on tight.

Laura wrapped her arms around Carmilla's waist and pressed her chest against Carmilla's back. She felt Carmilla stiffen as they melted together and Laura could have sworn she saw a slight blush on her face.

Carmilla started the bike, and eased it into the road before lifting her feet off of the ground. Laura squealed when she noticed Carmilla's feet leave the asphalt, but her fright was soon followed with exhilaration and adrenaline. This was amazing!

The wind whipped her hair from her shoulders and blew it out behind her. She couldn't stop smiling. She was giggling like an idiot. She squeezed her arms tighter around Carmilla and heard the girl laugh.

“Are you having fun?” Carmilla yelled over the noise the wind was making. 

She turned her head until her mouth was almost touching Carmilla's ear. “This is wonderful,” she said loud enough for her to hear. She felt Carmilla shiver as her lips just barely brushed against her ear lobe. She grinned and squeezed Carmilla's waist again.

They rode for what felt like hours. Carmilla took pleasure in taking turns faster than Laura liked, and laughed any time she earned a scream from Laura. Anytime Laura needed to say something to Carmilla, she made sure to bring her lips as close to Carmilla's ear as she could, feeling justified whenever she felt Carmilla shiver in her arms.

–

Carmilla pulled the motorcycle into a parking spot outside of a small diner that Laura had never been to before. The parking lot was full of other motorcycles, so Laura assumed that this was a usual hang out for Carmilla. 

They walked in the front door, and were immediately greeted by a woman smiling over at them from behind the counter. 

“Hey, Karnstein! Nice to see you finally decided to show your face again.”

Carmilla rolled her eyes and lead Laura over to the counter. She sat down in one of the seats and motioned for Laura to sit beside her. 

“I haven't been out riding in a while. Things have been kind of hectic at the hospital. Haven't had much free time.” She responded.

The woman walked over to them, and held out her hand to Laura. “I'm Ell. I'm sure Carmilla has told you so much about me.”

Laura took her hand and shook it, looking over at Carmilla. “Laura, and uhm..actually, she hasn't mentioned-”

“Don't let Ell's big head confuse you.” Carmilla interrupted. “She knows I never talk about her.”

The two girls glared at each other before they burst out laughing. Ell walked around the counter and Carmilla stood up from her seat. They embraced before shoving away from each other, still laughing. 

Laura sat and watched the interaction with a confused look on her face. 

Carmilla looked over at her, still smiling, “This idiot and I grew up next to each other.”

“So we're basically best friends.” Ell said.

Carmilla made a disgusted face. “Ew. I don't have best friends.” She shoved Ell again, laughing, and pulled herself into the seat next to Laura. 

Laura smiled over at the girl, happier now that she knew she wasn't some long lost love of Carmilla's. Not that it would bother her if she were.

“It's nice to meet you, Ell. I was beginning to think Carmilla didn't actually have any friends. She never talks about anyone, really.”

Ell laughed. “You were right to assume that. This asshole never shows her face around here anymore. It's been months since I've seen her, and she can't seem to respond to anyone's text messages either.”

“I told you, I've been busy.” Carmilla argued.

“Sure, sure. I know you keep that phone glued to your hand. And you've sure made time for this little cutie.”

Oh, she uses those nicknames, too. It wasn't just Carmilla then. 

“This _cutie_ happens to be good company. She's persistent and hard to stay away from.”

Laura quirked an eyebrow at this. “I wasn't the one who initiated this...” she flailed her hands in between them at a loss for words, “whatever this is today. I invited you to a party tonight, and you wanted to pick me up sooner.”

“Oh ho ho, is the big, loner kitty cat smitten?” Ell teased as she flicked a lock of hair off of Carmilla's shoulder.

Carmilla jerked away from her and glared her eyes. “The service here is crap. I've remembered now why it's been so long since I've been here.”

“Alright, alright. Calm down, mistress of the snark, I'm only messing with you. I've missed your stupid face.”

“Yeah, yeah. I guess I've missed you, too.” Carmilla grumbled in response. 

Ell grinned and looked between the two woman. “So, you want the usual, then?”

Carmilla nodded and Ell looked over at Laura for confirmation.

“Uh..I haven't really looked at a menu...” she trailed off, looking around the counter for one.

“You don't need one. She'll have what I'm having.” Carmilla said confidently.

“Ordering for her, too? That's so cute.” Ell jumped back to avoid the punch that Carmilla had aimed at her arm.

“Just go put our order in, loser.” 

Ell walked away, grinning and Carmilla turned to face Laura. “Sorry about that. She's kind of..annoying.”

“She's great.” Laura quickly said, laughing. 

Carmilla scrunched up her nose at Laura. “Don't let her hear you say that. She's got a big enough ego already.”

Ell returned a few minutes later with two huge chocolate milkshakes and set them down in front of Laura and Carmilla. 

“The food should be out in a bit, but I figured you wouldn't want to wait on these.”

Carmilla picked up her spoon and started shoveling the milkshake into her mouth. “You were right about that.” 

“The Usual” turned out to be a massive bacon cheeseburger with loaded fries on the side. Laura was only able to finish half of it before she gave up. She leaned back in her seat and watched Carmilla stuff the remaining half of her burger in her mouth. Only she could make eating a greasy cheeseburger look sexy.

When she was finished, she pulled a wad of cash out of her pocket and slammed it on the counter. Ell turned from the register and shook her head.

“You know your money is no good here, Karnstein. Spend it on your pretty girlfriend.”

Carmilla's cheeks tinted pink before she responded. “She's not my-just take the money. Don't be stubborn. We're out of here. Tell your parents I said I miss them!” 

“Laura,” Ell said, turning her gaze to her, “don't let Mircalla forget where we're at okay? You can come with her if it makes her more willing to stop by and visit.” She walked around the counter and gave Carmilla a hug. She took Laura's hand in her own and pulled her in for a quick one-armed hug. 

“It was really nice meeting you, Ell.” Laura said, returning the hug. 

Carmilla shrugged on her jacket, and lightly punched Ell in the arm. “See you later, _bestie_ ” She made a fake gagging noise, took Laura's hand, and began walking towards the door.

Once they got outside, Laura asked, “Who's Mircalla?”

Carmilla made a face and didn't respond at first. “It's just a childhood nickname. An anagram for my name. I sucked at making them, and Ell was always so amazing at it. She's a jerk and noticed that Mircalla annoyed me more than the other names, so she stuck with that one.”

She climbed back on the motorcycle, and tossed Laura the helmet she had been wearing.

“Ready to introduce me to your friends, cupcake?”

“The real question is: Are you ready to be introduced to my friends? They can be a lot more..overbearing than Ell seems to be.”

Carmilla chuckled lightly. “You saw her in a good mood. Trust me. Your friends can't be anywhere near as bad as that girl.”

Laura contemplated this for a second before shrugging and sticking her helmet back on her head. She climbed on behind Carmilla and wrapped her arms around her.

“You say that now, but just wait. You're not only meeting one of my friends. You're meeting all of them. I just hope you're prepared.”

–

Carmilla didn't realize just how prepared she needed to be, and she really wished that she had listened to Laura when she had said that her friends were..overbearing. 

Laura had to drag her inside when they pulled up and Carmilla saw how many cars were parked out front.

“You thought I was joking, didn't you?” 

“I thought there was a slight exaggeration on your part, yes. I didn't think you honestly meant that I was meeting everyone you've ever come across in your life.” Carmilla allowed the shorter girl to pull her inside the door. 

She introduced her to two redheads right off the bat, and rambled on about how one of them had been her Floor Don in college and the other was a mad scientist. Had she said that she had lived with them at some point, too? 

The mad scientist drilled Carmilla with so many personal questions, that Laura had to fake a coughing fit to get them away from them. Once they escaped one redhead, another appeared. 

Carmilla was almost looking straight up to the ceiling just to see this girl's face. 

“Hey, Laura. I wasn't sure you were going to make it.”

“Danny! Hi! Yeah, Carm and I just got a little caught up.” Laura didn't explain what had caused them to be late, and Carmilla began to wonder why..until she noticed the daggers that Xena was shooting at her with her eyes.

“Oh, so you're Carm?” Xena asked.

“It's Carmilla.” She snapped. “I'm going to go find some refreshments, cutie. I'll leave you here to talk.”

The ginger twins weren't so bad. Especially the short haired one. Laugh? LaFontaine? Whatever. She had plenty of time to get their names right. They noticed Carmilla sitting in the corner of the living room alone and approached slowly, almost as if they were trying not to scare her off. 

“Hey, sorry about earlier. Laura has just been talking about you so much, and I have kind of been eager to meet you.”

Carmilla raised an eyebrow. “She talks about me, huh?” She glanced around the room, and saw Laura still talking to the ginger giant. 

“Well just about how nice you've been, helping her out and everything. She seems to really like you. And for Laura to let someone new it..it's kind of a big deal. She usually just sticks to our little group of friends.”

“She seems like an open book to me.” Carmilla said shrugging.

“That's what I mean. She's really comfortable around you for some reason. It's unusual. We lived in the same neighborhood growing up, so we've kind of known each other forever. I just want to make sure that you're not planning on hurting her or anything. After everything she went through with her mom a few years ago..it's really nice to see her so happy again.”

“I have no intentions of hurting her. She fascinates me.” Carmilla looked over at Laura from across the room again just as Laura looked her way. They made eye contact, and Laura's face broke into a wide grin.

“She hasn't smiled like that in a while. Not even when she was crushing on Danny.” LaF said.

Carmilla jerked her eyes over to them “Oh, there's something going on with them?” 

“Not anymore, I don't think. But it's probably something you should ask Laura about. I'm not going to spread her business. Anyway, I'd better get back to socializing. Perry will kill me if we threw this party and I sat in the corner all night.”

“Hey,” Carmilla grabbed their forearm getting their attention before they walked away, “congratulations, by the way. I've actually heard of the grant you got, unlike most of these lackwits here, and it's really awesome that you got it.”

LaF grinned over at Carmilla. “Laura's right, you're not so bad. Thanks.” They walked back into the group in the living room.

The curly haired ginger, Perry, seemed like she was about to self-combust any minute now. She was walking around, flapping her hands in the air to no one in particular. Carmilla actually thought she saw a stack of coasters under her arm, but when she looked back, they were gone. 

“Just make sure you clean up any of your messes!” She said in a shrilly voice. How the hell did LaF deal with that all of the time?

The night carried on uneventfully. Laura finally was able to get away from Giantess and came over to sit with her. 

“You look bored.”

“I'm not. I'm just taking it all in.” Carmilla said. “You were right about your friends. Overbearing. I didn't think I'd ever get Ginger number two to shut up about how wonderful you are. As if I don't already know.”

Laura looked down at her hands smiling. “You think I'm wonderful, huh?”

Carmilla looked at Laura out of the corner of her eye and smirked. “I guess you could say that.”

–

The party began to wind down somewhere around midnight, and Laura located Carmilla in the kitchen talking animatedly to LaF.

She leaned against the doorway and watched them for a few minutes before Carmilla noticed her standing there. Laura yawned and smiled over at the pair. Carmilla smiled shyly back and mumbled something to LaF before walking over towards her.

“Are you ready to head out, sleepyhead?” she asked.

“We don't have to if you're not ready.” Laura answered.

“You look like you're about to pass out, and it might be harder for me to catch you if you're not falling directly into my lap.” Carmilla joked.

“You're probably right. Let's tell everyone goodbye, and you can take me home.”

Carmilla groaned. “Do we have to say 'bye? I thought maybe we could just sneak out the door without anyone noticing that we went missing.”

“Carmilla. We most certainly cannot. Besides, you've been enjoying yourself. Don't think I didn't notice.” Laura said, narrowing her eyes at Carmilla. 

“Fine.” Carmilla huffed. “But I'm not saying 'bye to Xena.”

Laura rolled her eyes. “It's amazing how juvenile you can be sometimes.” She took Carmilla's hand in her own, and pulled her into the living room to tell everyone they were leaving.

–

The ride home was just as thrilling as the ride around town had been that day. The wind in her face had helped to wake her up, and Laura didn't think she was ever going to fall asleep.

She clambered off of the back of the bike, and stood beside it. Carmilla cut the engine and smiled up at her. Laura pulled off the helmet and stuck it out to Carmilla who waved a hand at it telling her to hang on to it for next time. The idea that there was going to be a next time gave Laura butterflies. 

“I had a good time today, cupcake.”

“I did, too, Carm. Thanks for taking me out on your fancy bike.” She tapped the tire with the tip of her toes lightly.

“I'll talk to you soon?” Carmilla asked hopefully.

“Soon.” Laura said with a smile. She leaned down and kissed Carmilla on the cheek before she lost her nerve. “Okay, awesome, bye!”

She turned and ran up the steps to her apartment building. She let herself in and turned around to see Carmilla gazing up at her from her motorcycle, seemingly in a daze. Her hand was raised to her cheek where Laura had kissed her, and her fingertips were lightly touching the area. 

Laura blew a kiss down to Carmilla who quickly raised her hand to catch it. She made like she was tucking it into the pocket of her jacket, and zipped it up for safe measure. 

“Sweet dreams, creampuff.” She winked and started up her bike. Laura stood in the doorway long enough to watch her drive down the road. When she couldn't see her anymore, she shut the door and made her way up to her apartment.

Once inside, she opened up her thread with Carmilla and typed out a new message.

 **Cupcake:** Thank you for everything today. It was beyond amazing. Drive safe, my dangerous biker girl. And please let me know when you make it home, okay? xoxo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a short chapter in comparison to my last two, but I'm exhausted and I have to be up in 5 hours for work! And I didn't want to disappoint anyone by not posting tonight. Here it is! I didn't read this chapter through as diligently as I normally do because I really need to get to bed, so I'm sorry for any typos/mess ups. Don't judge too harshly, please. A little more from Carm's POV, but just a little bit. I like writing from Laura's more but throwing in Carmilla every now and then keeps things interesting, I think. Anyway! Let me know what you think! 
> 
> Thanks for reading! And as always, don't be afraid to stop by and say hello!
> 
> micanickel.tumblr.com
> 
> p.s. SEASON FINALE TOMORROW!! WHO'S FREAKING OUT?! I KNOW I AM!!


	7. Sleep Overs and U-Hauls

The next few weeks passed by without incident. Laura returned to work at the restaurant a couple days after LaF's party, and she even picked up a few stories at the paper. They were reviews on plays that were happening at the local theater. She was looking forward to going to one, and she had even miraculously convinced Carmilla to go to the last one with her. 

“I still don't know how you managed to drag me to this thing, cupcake.” 

They were standing in the queue outside of the theater, and Carmilla was looking disgruntled. Laura leaned into her side and lightly pushed her.

“Come on. I promise to make it worth your while.”

Carmilla wrapped her arm around Laura's shoulder and looked down at her. “Well in that case...” she trailed off and raised an eyebrow questioningly.

Laura blushed and looked away, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. They reached the ticket kiosk and Laura stepped up to the window.

“Hi, I'm Laura Hollis. I'm here for Silas Daily. I should have two seats reserved for my date-I mean, my guest and I.” They hadn't discussed whether or not this was date, and Laura didn't want to assume that it was. 

Things were going wonderfully between her and Carmilla, if she was being honest. They had been hanging out almost every day that Carmilla had off, and if they weren't planning on spending the day together, they were texting or talking on the phone, sometimes for hours. Laura was really enjoying getting to know the girl beneath all of that leather. As it turns out, Carmilla is actually a _huge_ softie. She's got a soft spot for cats, loves romance movies and novels, and even writes poetry from time to time. 

But aside from all of that, there were somethings that Carmilla seemed really standoffish about. She never mentioned her mother, and she would change the subject if it ever strayed that way. She didn't really like to talk about her childhood that much, and Laura assumed that it had something to do with her mother. She didn't push the topic, though. Whenever Carmilla was ready to discuss those things with her, she'd be there to listen, curious journalistic nature be damned.

Even with all of the time they had been spending together, Laura still wasn't quite sure where they were going with all of it..or if it was even going anywhere. Maybe Carmilla just wanted to be friends. Maybe she wanted to be more than friends. Things seemed to be heading more towards being more than friends. Carmilla flirted with her all of the time. Besides the cute nicknames and the small kisses on the cheek every now and then, there were quite a few moments that Carmilla looked at Laura like she wanted to eat her, but then Carmilla would shake her head and move to put some distance between them.

Laura was trying her hardest not to read into anything. She was really enjoying Carmilla's friendship, and she didn't want to ruin it if Carmilla wasn't wanting more. But if Laura was being completely honest, she definitely wouldn't mind having more with Carmilla. She was absolutely breath taking. And okay, yes she was kind of grumpy most of the time, but she occasionally let her useless, broody facade down around Laura. Those moments were Laura's favorites. She would give Laura such a massive and genuine smile, and Laura would immediately return it without even having to think about it. Her stomach would fill with butterflies, and then _she_ would have to move away so she wouldn't do something stupid like kiss her. 

They entered the theater just as the lights flashed to signal a ten minute warning. Laura walked down the isle until she located the row that their seats were on. She squeezed herself down the row, apologizing to the people she was walking in front of. Once she reached the two seats assigned to them, she sat down and pulled out her notepad and a pen, getting ready to write down anything that stood out to her throughout the play.

The play started a little while later, and Laura sat up in her seat, ready to pay attention and take notes. Carmilla sat restlessly beside her, fidgetting with a stray thread on her pants, bouncing her legs up and down, tapping out a beat on the armrest between her and Laura.

After dealing with this for about thirty minutes, Laura had enough. “What is your problem, Carmilla?” she whispered angrily.

“I'm bored,” she whined. “This is extremely uninteresting.”

“Well you didn't have to come with me. But you're distracting me. I need to pay attention, and it's hard to do that with you moving around constantly.” Laura whispered. “Plus, I think you're annoying the other patrons as well.” She had noticed the people in the row in front of them slightly looking over their shoulder every now and then.

“You didn't really give me an option about coming with you or not.” Carmilla argued.

“Yes, I did. I asked if you wanted to come to a play with me that I had to review and you-”

“You asked if I wanted to do something tonight, and I agreed. I didn't realize this is what we'd be do-”

“No, I distinctly remembering telling you that I had to come to this tonight because it's the last night of the show, and I needed to get the review done so I could turn it in to my-”

“You didn't tell it'd be this boring. These actors are terrible. I could do better, and I don't even know the script. Can't we just-”

“Shhhhhhh.” The woman sitting in front of Laura turned and gave them a dirty look. Laura looked embarrassed, and Carmilla just rolled her eyes.

They were silent for another ten minutes before Carmilla started sighing loudly.

“ _What_ , Carmilla?” Laura snapped over at her.

“Oh, nothing.”

Laura glared at her before turning her attention back to the stage. 

“There's just so many other things that I would rather be doing with my time.” Carmilla mumbled under her breath.

Laura chose to ignore her in favor of paying attention to the show. She only had half a page of notes written down, and she really needed more than that to write her review.

Carmilla sighed loudly, and began tapping her fingers on the armrest and bouncing her leg again. Laura closed her eyes and let a slow breath out, trying to calm down. After five minutes, Laura couldn't stand it anymore.

“What else would you rather be doing? It's a Tuesday night. What kind of trouble do you think we could possibly get in to?”

Carmilla sat up slightly in her seat, and leaned over to Laura to whisper in her ear. “Oh, I have all kinds of thoughts about that,” she said as she walked her fingers up Laura's arm. 

Laura shook her head. She felt her irritation slipping away, and she smiled over at Carmilla. She went to reply to her before they were interrupted by someone tapping Carmilla on the shoulder. She turned her head away from Laura quickly.

“What?” She snapped at the person beside her.

“Uhm..I'm sorry, I think the gentleman on the end is trying to get your attention."

They looked down the row and saw a man with a flashlight glaring over at them. He gestured for them to come over to him.

Laura groaned, “Dammit.”

Her and Carmilla stood up and made their way down the row towards the man.

“Follow me,” he said when they reached him.

Carmilla looked over at Laura, shrugging, and began walking after the man. He lead them out into the lobby of the theater and turned towards them.

“You ladies have been distracting the other patrons in the theater. Because of this, I'm going to have to ask you to leave.”

Laura gasped and began shaking her head quickly. “No no no no no no. I have to watch the rest of this. I'm here from Silas Daily. I have to get my review to my editor tomorrow and this is the last night of the show.” 

“I'm sorry, I cannot allow you to continue to disrupt the show.” He glared at them one last time, and made his way back into the theater.

“Well, that was a kick.” Carmilla breathed out.

Laura stared at the doors to the theater with her mouth hanging open. “What the hell am I going to do, Carm? I need to finish my review.” She dropped onto the bench beside her and put her head in her hands. She felt tears welling up in her eyes, and she fought to keep them in.

Carmilla flopped down beside her and placed an arm over her shoulders. “We'll figure something out. Don't panic.”

“Don't panic?! How do you expect me to not panic?!” Laura heard her voice getting higher the more she spoke. “I need to watch the rest of the play, and now I can't because we got kicked out. I should have just ignored you, but I couldn't and now look where we are.” She threw her hands up in the air and gestured angrily around the lobby. 

Carmilla began rubbing her back in small circles. “This isn't the end of the world, cupcake. We'll get your review written.”

“And just how do you expect to do that? I don't even get to watch the rest of the play. Yes, the acting has been pretty bad thus far, but maybe it would have gotten better by the end, but now I'll never know!” Laura said, shrilly. She gripped the edges of the bench and fought the tears in her eyes once again. It was no use, though. One tear leaked out of the corner of her eye, and she began crying in earnest.

“Hey, hey. No crying. Stop that.” Carmilla pulled her closer, and hugged her tightly. “Let's go back to your place and look up the synopsis of the play online. From there, you can fill in the blanks with what you already know. And I can guarantee that the acting was not going to get any better.”

Laura pulled away from Carmilla and sighed. “Fine. Just take me home.” She wiped under her eyes, hoping that her make up was not smeared too badly.

Carmilla stood from the bench and held her hand out to Laura. She took it, and Carmilla pulled her up into a hug. “I'm sorry I got us kicked out. I was extremely bored, but I never would have purposely tried to ruin your review.”

Laura sniffed and nodded. “I know,” she mumbled into Carmilla's chest.

“Alright, let's get you home.” She pulled away, and walked over to the door with Laura's hand in her own.

–  
They walked in the door to Laura's apartment, and Laura went to grab her laptop from her bedroom while Carmilla made herself comfortable on the couch. 

She came out of her room and saw Carmilla sprawled out on the couch, taking up most of the room.

“Carm..” Laura whined.

Carmilla looked up from the book she was reading, and, seeing Laura, lifted her legs so she could sit down underneath them. 

“No, Carm. I need you to sit up. I can't rest my laptop on your legs.”

Carmilla groaned and shuffled so she was only taking up three quarters of the couch instead of the full thing. _“I guess that'll have to do.”_ Laura thought. 

She walked over the the side of the couch that Carmilla was not occupying and sat down. “Are you going to help me look this up, or are you just going to read?”

Carmilla looked over the top of the book at her. “I didn't realize you would need my help do Google a stupid play, cutie.”

“Well seeing as you're the whole reason I have to Google the stupid play in the first place, I thought that you'd be more willing to help me.”

Carmilla stared at her for a second before sitting up, and closing the book she had in her hands. She placed it on the table in front of her and scooted over until her side was flush with Laura's. Laura set the laptop down on both of their legs. She linked her arm with Carmilla's so she could have access to the touchpad. Carmilla brought her right hand up on the keyboard so she could work that side, while Laura brought up her left hand to work the left side. After many nights of watching movies on her laptop, they had perfected this technique. They didn't type quite as fast as Laura could by herself, but they were actually pretty close. 

Laura laid her head on Carmilla's shoulder, and clicked on the Chrome icon that was on her screen. As they waited for the internet to load, Carmilla placed her head on Laura's and nuzzled her hair. Laura giggled and leaned into her side further. 

Once the internet had loaded, they began typing in the search bar to find the synopsis for the play they had just been kicked out of. 

–  
A full two hours later, Laura moved the cursor on the screen and clicked the tiny floppy disk icon to save the review they had just finished typing. The last review she had written for the paper was typed exactly as this one was, with Carmilla's right hand helping, so Laura didn't feel too bad about using her help again. It took a little more time than it would have if Laura had done it on her own because Carmilla kept typing in words like 'poop' and 'loop' that she could type with only her right hand. 

Each time she did this, Laura would pull back her hand that was working the touchpad, and poke her in the side until she erased the word. “Come on, Carm. We need to get this done.” Laura had said trying not to laugh. Carmilla would start laughing and hit the backspace key.

Laura removed the laptop from their legs, and set it on the table. She curled her legs underneath her and laid her head back on Carmilla's shoulder. Carmilla pulled her arm out from in between them, and set it lazily across Laura's shoulders. 

“Movie?” Carmilla asked.

Laura nodded, and tried to stifle a yawn.

“Should you go to bed? I don't want to keep you up late.” 

“No, I'm fine. I'll probably end up falling asleep in the middle of the movie like I usually do, but I don't want you to leave. I've missed you.” Carmilla hadn't had a day off in four days, so they hadn't seen each other in as long. 

Laura felt Carmilla smile into her hair. “Well if you're tired, let's lay down so you can sleep comfortably without hurting your neck like you did last week.” 

Laura leaned away from Carmilla and watched her as she stretched out on the couch. She looked up at Laura expectantly.

“Well? Are you going to lay down?” She raised her left arm to allow Laura to cuddle up between her and the couch.

Laura hesitated before laying down. They had never cuddled while laying down before. Usually, they sat up and watched movies. Sometimes Laura would wake up with her head in Carmilla's lap, and she wouldn't remember how she had gotten there. Sure, they snuggled while sitting up, but this was entirely different. 

“Don't think too much into this, cutie. It's just a little cuddling.” She smirked and patted her left shoulder with her right hand. “C'mon.”

Laura slowly slid across the couch until she was laying beside Carmilla. She gave her a small smile before laying her head down on Carmilla's chest. Carmilla brought her arm down around Laura and pulled her tighter against her body. Laura snuggled down into the couch more, and nuzzled Carmilla's chest. She heard Carmilla's heart quicken a tiny bit, and looked up at the girl.

“Carmilla, are you nervous?” she asked in mock surprise.

“It's not every day I have a pretty girl laying half on top of me, cupcake,” she answered.

Laura giggled and put her head back down. She grabbed the remote and selected a movie from Netflix at random. As usual, she felt herself start to fall asleep less than halfway through the movie.

–

Carmilla felt Laura's breath even out, and realized that she had probably fallen asleep. Not that she minded. Laying with Laura practically on top of her was not something she was likely to complain about any time soon. She wrapped her arms around the tiny girl, and wiggled herself down into the couch cushions further.

She sighed and began to wonder when her luck would run out with Laura. Things were going great. A little too great. They had been spending so much time together, and Carmilla was loving every minute of it. Her usual insecurities would arise occasionally, and she would wonder when Laura was going to get sick of her snarky comments and general lack of caring about..well..anything really. 

She shrugged off those feelings and brought her face down into Laura's hair. It smelled amazing, like honey and lemon and..something fruity that Carmilla couldn't quite put her finger on. It was so easy to completely throw herself into Laura. She gave into everything she wanted without a second thought. This wasn't something Carmilla was used to. She was generally very independent, and didn't exactly like answering to anyone. Her past relationships had been so short because the girls had been so clingy, but Carmilla didn't exactly mind when Laura texted her asking where she was and when she was going to come over. Carmilla liked it. She really really liked it.

Trying not to dwell too much on these unsettling thoughts, she closed her eyes and matched her breathing to Laura's. She fell asleep with her last thought being of Laura's smile, and how she never wanted to go more than a day without seeing it. 

–  
Laura woke up the next morning to the sun blaring through the sheer curtains in her living room. She blinked as her eyes tried to adjust to the sudden brightness. Slightly disoriented, she brought her hand up to her face to brush the hair out of her eyes. She stilled as soon as she realized where she was. 

Ever so slowly, she looked up to find herself face to face with Carmilla. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked at the sleeping girl. She looked beautiful, as always, but seeing her fast asleep was something Laura had never seen before, and it wasn't something she was going to forget any time soon.

Carmilla's hair was unruly, and spread out all over the pillow beneath her head. Her lips were slightly puckered, and her brow was furrowed. Laura wanted so badly to touch her face, to try to relax the crease that was formed between her eyebrows. 

_“Who sleeps with a frown on their face?”_ she thought to herself. 

She lifted her hand slowly to Carmilla's face, careful not to wake her up with any sudden movements. She touched her fingertips lightly to Carmilla's forehead, and rubbed her index finger down the bridge of her nose. As she did this, she noticed Carmilla's features begin to relax ever so slightly. 

Laura lifted her hand from her forehead, and cupped Carmilla's cheek, her thumb hovering over the woman's puckered lips. Steeling herself, she traced her bottom lip with the pad of her thumb. Carmilla's lips parted with a quiet sigh, and her eyelids fluttered. Laura snatched her hand away quickly, and braced herself for Carmilla to wake up and find her being all..stalkerish. 

Carmilla's eyes opened slowly, and she blinked a few times before bringing her gaze over to Laura's face. She smiled as their eyes met.

“Hey,” she said huskily.

“Hey,” Laura responded with a small smile thinking that Carmilla's just-waking-up voice was probably the most adorable thing she had ever heard in her life, and it was oddly sexy which was just..weird and unfair. 

“How did you sleep?”

“I think that was the best night's sleep I've had in a very long time, and that's saying something seeing as we slept on the couch. Ya know, if you wanted to stay the night, we could have gone into my bedroom and slept in my bed. It's plenty big enough for the two of us.”

Carmilla smirked at her suggestion. “Are you trying to get me into your bed, cutie?”

“No that's not what I-I guess technically that's what I was saying but I-I wasn't saying that I wanted to _sleep_ with you, I was saying that I wanted to sleep with you. Even though we just totally slept together so it's kind of pointless now to say that I want to sleep with you. I was just trying to say that if you wanted to sleep with me, then we could have done it in a much more comfortable place. With a lot more..a lot more room for-for moving and-and stuff.”

Carmilla had watched Laura stutter her way through this bout of rambling with an amused expression on her face. 

“Relax, cupcake. I'm only messing with you. I actually didn't plan on sleeping here last night, but I was just so comfortable that I couldn't exactly help myself. Your breathing kind of sang me to sleep, like the sweetest of lullabies.”

Laura blushed and smacked her lightly on the chest. “I can't take your incessant flirting so early in the morning, Carm. I need to have at least two cups of cocoa in me before you can expect me to respond correctly.”

“Well let's fix that then!” Carmilla said brightly. She tried to sit up, but with Laura still laying on her, she failed and laid back down with a groan.

“I don't think I'm ready to get up just yet.” Laura had a sly smile on her face, and she was giving Carmilla a look that sent shivers down her spine. 

“I uh..did you just want to lay here all day then?” Carmilla asked nervously.

“We could lay here all day,” Laura nodded, “or we could do..other things.”

Laura watched Carmilla's throat jump as gulped. “What-what other things are you thinking about doing?”

“Oh, you know,” Laura flirted. She traced shapes on Carmilla's upper chest with her index finger. Carmilla took a shaky breath and looked into Laura's eyes.

“Enlighten me.”

“I was just thinking that we could do the usual things that girls do at sleep overs, and they find themselves laying together. One practically on top of the other.” She shifted her body so one leg was in between Carmilla's, and her hands were by her shoulders. 

Carmilla's eyes widened, and Laura noticed her throat jump again. “I'm not sure what you're talking about. You might need to be more..specific.”

Laura leaned her face down close to Carmilla's. Their mouths were about an inch apart when she grinned and yelled “TICKLE FIGHT!!”

She dropped all of her weight down on Carmilla and dug her fingers into Carmilla's sides as she started laughing uncontrollably. 

“No no no, this isn't fair! You had an unfair advantage.” Carmilla began to struggle underneath Laura. She tried to get her hands up to Laura's sides but failed as Laura continued her vicious attack.

“Come on, Carm! You're doing such a poor job of fighting back! It's like your not even trying.”

“I. Can't. Move!” Carmilla squealed. She started rocking her hips back and forth, trying to flip Laura off of her. She couldn't stop laughing as Laura's hands attacked her sides. After moving her hips a few times, she managed to flip Laura off of her. Laura had fallen to the side of the couch that was open to the room, and she grabbed on to Carmilla's arms as she started to fall backwards. 

“Don't let me fall!” Her grip tightened.

Carmilla leaned forward into Laura's body, pushing her further off of the couch. She was sure that Carmilla wouldn't actually let her fall off of the couch, but she was scared nonetheless. She moved her leg so she could hook it around one of Carmilla's and realized her mistake as soon as she felt Carmilla's weight shift onto her more. 

Laura looked into Carmilla's eyes and saw them widen in fear. She felt herself tip backwards even more, and couldn't help the scream that escaped from her mouth. She felt the hard floor hit her back first and braced herself to hit her head on the floor, but Carmilla's hands had somehow cradled her head and cushioned the blow. 

They laid on the floor, Carmilla on top of Laura now, and stared at each other before bursting out into uncontrollable laughter. Once they had stopped, Carmilla put her forehead to Laura's, and closed her eyes. Laura looked at Carmilla's closed eyes, and let her heart rate slow down as she committed this moment to memory. This was a morning she never wanted to forget. Waking up with Carmilla. Flirting with Carmilla. Playing with Carmilla.

Carmilla took a deep breath in, and opened her eyes. Noticing that Laura had been watching her, she sat up quickly. “Uhm..sorry.”

Laura frowned, sad that the magic of the moment was lost. “It's okay.” She said as she sat up next to Carmilla.

“I should probably get home and shower. Change these clothes.” Carmilla gestured down to her body.

“You could always shower here and wear something of mine!” Laura suggested, not wanting Carmilla to leave.

“I don't think so, cupcake. Your clothes are exactly my taste.” Carmilla scrunched up her nose.

“I thought you hung out with me because of my keen fashion sense.”

“It's definitely not that.” Carmilla said with a smile. She leaned forward on her knees and kissed Laura quickly on the tip of her nose. “I'll come back over after I've made myself presentable.” She stood up and walked to the door, turning to blow Laura a kiss as she opened it and walked out. 

Out of habit, Laura raised her hand and caught it even though Carmilla wasn't there to see it. Ever since the night of the party, they had started doing that whenever they said goodbye. Blowing kisses to each other and catching them. Laura had lost count of how many blown kisses from Carmilla she had in the pockets of her jeans. She tucked this one into the collar of her shirt, pressing it to her chest.

Laura pulled herself up onto the couch, and propped her feet up on the coffee table. She knew she should probably get up and get in the shower, but she wasn't ready to face the day yet. She wanted to replay the morning she just spent with Carmilla over and over again in her mind. She did exactly that until she had no choice but to get up and shower.

–

 **Cupcake:** Feel like taking the bike out today?

 **Carm:** You, Lauronica Mars, want to take my bike out today?

 **Cupcake:** We haven't taken it out since the party, and I really enjoyed it then.

 **Carm:** I don't know why I heard you saying that in your annoying whiny voice.

 **Cupcake:** Maybe because it was!

 **Cupcake:** Come on, do I have to beg?

 **Carm:** It might help your case some.

 **Cupcake:** Then consider me on my knees, at your feet, groveling. Pleeeeeease, Carm! I need to feel the wind in my hair!

 **Carm:** On your knees at my feet, huh? That's something I'll have a hard time keeping out of my mind from now on ;)

 **Carm:** I was already planning on bringing taking my bike out today. I'll be there in fifteen.

Laura squealed excitedly when she received Carmilla's last message, and ran to the bathroom to pull her hair into a side braid. 

As she waited for Carmilla to show up at her apartment, Laura heard her phone go off signally an incoming text message. She picked it up just as the preview disappeared.

 **LaF:** Feel up to dinner with Perry and I later? J.P. might come as well.

 **Laura:** That sounds great! Would you be okay with Carm coming along? Her and I have plans today, and I'd feel bad blowing her off early.

 **LaF:** The more the merrier! Invite Danny, too, if you want!

Laura thought about it for a second. Things had seemed okay with her and Danny. They had talked everything out at the party that LaF had, and Danny seemed to feel really bad for how she had acted before. Laura was just more worried about how Carmilla would act around Danny. The two of them had hung around Perry and LaF once since the party, and while Carmilla hadn't exactly acted the same as she normally did when it was just her and Laura, she got along with LaF surprisingly well. 

Laura bit her lip while she thought about it. Well, even if things were tense between Carmilla and Danny, there would be plenty of other people there for them to talk to. She'd just make sure that Carmilla sat between her and LaF, and Danny could sit..well Danny could sit somewhere that her and Carmilla weren't forced to speak to each other. Things at the party had been a little..weird between the two of them.

Danny had, of course, heard all about Carmilla from Laura, so jealously seemed to play a factor in how she was acting towards Carmilla. On the other hand, Carmilla had entered that party so hesitant to meet anyone, she wasn't exactly warm and friendly whenever Danny had walked up to them. She had even referred to Danny as “Xena” once, which really seemed to irritate Danny. 

**Hollis:** Hey Danny! We're doing an impromptu dinner with the whole gang later! Are you interested in coming? I'm not sure of any specific details yet, but I can definitely let you know if you think you're up for it.

 **Danny:** Sure! Just let me know time and location, and I'll be there!

Laura smiled, and opened her thread with LaF again.

 **Laura:** Danny's in! You and Perr decide on where you want to go and when. Text me and let me know!

 **Laura:** And please text Danny, too! Carm should be here any minute, and we're taking her bike out, so I won't be checking my phone. Thanks, LaF!

She stuck her phone into her Doctor Who bag. She had started carrying it again even though Carmilla made a face any time she saw Laura come out of her apartment with it. Laura didn't care though, it was her favorite backpack, and she wanted to use it as much as she could.

The buzzer to her apartment sounded all of a sudden, and she jumped at the noise. She walked over to it, and pressed the button on the speaker. 

“Carm?”

 _“Are you expecting someone else, cutie?”_ Carmilla's voice came through the speaker. 

“Just making sure!” Laura grabbed her keys off of the table by her door, and walked out to greet Carmilla.

–

They rode around town for about an hour before Carmilla started making her way to the diner she had taken Laura to before. Now that she was taking her bike out more, she wanted to start going to see Ell and her parents more. It was more out of habit that she went there while riding her bike.

Laura must have recognized where they were going because she squeezed Carmilla tightly, and leaned in to her ear.

“You must have read my mind, Carm. I'm starving.”

Carmilla smiled as they pulled into the parking lot. They parked by the doors, and Carmilla let Laura climb off of the motorcycle before she put the kickstand down and clambered off herself. 

They walked in the front door, and Carmilla walked over to sit at the bar before Laura grabbed her arm, stopping her in her tracks. She turned to face her with a questioning look on her face.

“Do you mind if we sit at a booth? They're so much more comfortable, and it's easier to talk to you instead of having to turn sideways all of the time.”

“Sure thing, cupcake.” Carmilla took Laura's hand and pulled her over to the closest booth. She sat down in the booth facing the door, and Laura sat across from her. 

Ell came out from the kitchen looking around for the new guests who had entered. When her eyes make contact with Carmilla's, she grinned and skipped over to them.

“Hey, loser,” she said as she flung herself into the booth beside Carmilla and gave her a one armed hug. 

Carmilla leaned into the hug, laughing and said “Hey, Ell-dorko.” Her and Ell had been friends for so long. She was really glad that they had maintained their friendship. It was one of those things where they could go weeks or even months without talking, but the second they saw each other again, it seemed like they hadn't missed a day.

“Hey, Laura.” Ell said as she smiled over the table.

Laura smiled shyly back. “Hi.”

“Taking your bike out, again?” Ell asked, directing the question to Carmilla.

“Yeah,” Carmilla confirmed. “This one over here _begged_ me to take it out.” She jerked a thumb over towards Laura.

Laura looked offended. “I didn't beg. Well, I guess I kind of did. But you can't tell me that you're not enjoying it.”

Carmilla stuck her tongue out at Laura. “I never said I wasn't, cutie.”

Ell watched the two of them smiling. “I, for one, am glad that she did. Otherwise I probably wouldn't have the pleasure of seeing your annoying ass for another two months.” She stood up and pulled a pad of paper from her apron and a pen.

“Ah. Well if I'm so annoying, I should probably just go.” She made to stand up from the booth, and Ell shoved her back down.

“What do you want to eat, Mircalla?”

Carmilla glared over at Ell for a minute before answering. “You shouldn't even have to ask that. I want what I always get.”

“Silly me, I should have known that you wouldn't want to try something different for once.” Ell retorted.

“'Different' isn't a word in my vocabulary,” Carmilla grunted.

Ell rolled her eyes and turned to face Laura. “What about you, sweetheart? What would you like?”

Laura considered this for a second. “I think I'll just have what Carm and I got last time. I'm not afraid off different things, but I did really like it before.”

Ell nodded as she wrote down Laura's order. “Alright, I'll have it right out for you. It's good to see you again, fool.” She grinned down at Carmilla and walked to the back to put their order in. 

A few minutes later, she brought out chocolate milkshakes and placed them in front of the two girls. She slid into the booth beside Laura this time, and placed her arm around her. 

“Ya know, I think I'm going to like you.”

Laura smiled at her. “I think I'm going to like you, too, Ell.”

Ell pulled her arm out from around Laura's shoulders and smiled over at Carmilla. All of this was making Carmilla feel so..warm and happy inside. Which was kind of gross if she was being honest, but she let herself feel happy at seeing her best friend and her..well..Laura sitting across from her. 

“How are things at the hospital? Still saving lives? Winning that damn award every month so you can brag about it to everyone you come across?” 

“I can't help that I'm the best employee that hospital has ever had.” Carmilla responded in between mouthfuls of chocolate shake. 

“Gee, Carmilla, you haven't let that award go to your head at all,” Ell said sarcastically. 

Carmilla rolled her eyes at Ell. “How are your parents? Are they here?” She hadn't seen them in a while, and she'd really like to while she was at the restaurant.

“They aren't. They took a week off to go camping or some shit. Dad's trying to convince Mom to get an RV, and she is completely against it, but you know how he gets. Once he decides that he wants something, he doesn't stop until he gets it.”

“So he thinks that taking her camping is going to convince her to let him get an RV?”

“Something along the lines of..making her sleep on the ground in a tent will convince her that an RV is the way to go. I'm not so sure it'll work. You know how conservative my mother is.”

Carmilla nodded knowingly and continued to eat her milkshake.

“So, shorty, what do you do for a living?” Carmilla raised her eyes to see Ell facing Laura. Laura had a slight frown on her face, and Carmilla couldn't help the laugh that escaped from her mouth. Laura absolutely hated when people called her names in reference to her height. Carmilla had learned this fairly quickly, and had refrained from using height-based names. 

Laura glared over at her before turning towards Ell and answering her question. “I work part time at the newspaper, and part time at the small steakhouse downtown.”

“Oh, really? My parents know the owners. How do you like working there?”

“It's not bad. I made pretty excellent tips on the weekends, and decent enough money on week nights that I pick up.”

Ell nodded as she listened to Laura. A bell dinged in the kitchen, and Ell looked over her shoulder towards the sound.

“That'll be your food. I'll go grab it really quick.” She walked away and left Carmilla and Laura sitting in silence. 

She returned with two plates loaded with food, and set them down on the table. “I won't bug you while you eat. I know how much _Mircalla_ hates that.” She smiled devishly at Carmilla and walked away. 

“Do you have plans later tonight?” Laura asked Carmilla as she picked up her cheeseburger.

Carmilla had a mouthful of food, and shook her head to answer the question.

“Okay, good. Because LaF invited us out to dinner with her, Perry, and J.P.” Carmilla nodded and Laura assumed that meant she was willing to go. She pulled out her phone to check her messages. She had one from Danny confirming that she would be going to dinner, too.

“And,” Laura began hesitantly, “Danny just told me that she's going to come as well. So I hope that you can play nice tonight.”

Carmilla swallowed the food in her mouth before responding. “No promises, cupcake. You know I can't really stand Xena.”

“She's really sweet. I wish you'd give her a chance.” Laura said, sadly.

“I'll be nice as long as she is, but I'm not going to just take her sly comments to me. That's not who I am.”

“I know, I know. She's just jealous of you, and I don't think she really knows how to handle that. I don't think Danny is really used to being turned down, and she thinks that I turned her down for you..or something.” 

Carmilla looked up quickly at Laura when she said this. She was picking at the bun on her burger, and wouldn't make eye contact with Carmilla.

“Why on Earth would she think you turned her down for me?” 

“Well, she came over to my apartment and asked if I wanted to go to the party with her, but I told her I was already going with you. It kind of upset her.”

“You failed to mention that to me before the party, sweetheart. Don't let me get in between whatever you have going on with the redheaded giantess.”

Laura finally looked up from her food and met Carmilla's gaze. “There's nothing going on between Danny and I. Not anymore, at least. There may have been the chance of something happening, but not now. Not with..you..in the..picture.” Laura looked back down at her food as she trailed off.

Carmilla stared at her for a few seconds before looking down at her own food. They hadn't discussed where their relationship was going, but what Laura just said kind of confirmed that she wanted it to go in the same direction that Carmilla did.

Carmilla finally broke the tension. “Well..I'm relieved to hear that. I don't think I'd like it very much if there was something going on between you two.” Laura looked up at her and slowly smiled. A blush was building across her cheeks, and Carmilla felt her face begin to heat up as well. 

The moment was interrupted by Ell flopping down next to Laura again. “It is incredibly dull here today.”

Carmilla's eyes snapped away from Laura's face to look at Ell. She glared at her for ruining the conversation her and Laura had been having. 

Ell hadn't noticed how Carmilla was looking at her, and she continued to ramble on about how boring things had been at the diner that day.

They finished their food, and Carmilla made to pull her money clip from her back pocket before Ell waved it off. 

“Don't you dare. Last time you left entirely way too much. You're paid up for the next ten times you come here, and that's if you bring Laura with you.”

Carmilla wasn't too happy with Ell refusing to let her pay, but she shoved the clip back into her pocket and stood up. She grabbed her jacket from the booth and shrugged it back on.

“Ready?” she asked Laura.

Laura stood from her booth, nodding. She turned to Ell and pulled her into a hug. Ell seemed shocked by this because Laura had always seemed so hesitant to hug her back, but she wrapped her arms around the tiny girl.

“I'm really glad that I'm getting the chance to get to know you, Ell.” Laura mumbled into the hug.

“Me too, Laura.” Ell pulled away and smiled over at Carmilla. “I think your girlfriend may like me more than she likes you.” She smirked and punched Carmilla in the arm.

“She's not-whatever. Come here, loser.” Carmilla wrapped her arm around Ell's neck and put her in a headlock. Ell fought her off by punching her lightly in her stomach and kidneys before she gave in and accepted her fate. She hugged Carmilla around the waist, and Carmilla shoved her off laughing. 

“Ew, gross. You know how much I hate affection.” Carmilla said, but couldn't help the smile on her face.

“Alright, get out of here. I'm sick of looking at your ugly mug. Laura, come back any time. Even if you have to bring her lame ass.”

The three girls said goodbye, and Carmilla and Laura made their way out the front door.

“Okay, so you got to surprise me before with you motorcycle. I'd like to take you somewhere now as a surprise, but I obviously can't drive your bike, so here's an address. Put it into your fancy GPS thing, and take us there.” Laura held out a small scrap of paper with an address written on it. 

Carmilla raised her eyebrows at Laura before taking the piece of paper from her hand. She didn't recognize the address. She typed it into the GPS she had installed on her motorcycle, and handed Laura her helmet.

“I thought we had to go to dinner tonight.”

“That's not until later. LaF texted me a little while ago. They said we wouldn't be going until around eight or so. That gives us a few hours to go do this, and another few hours to go back to my place and get ready.”

“So I stay at your apartment one night, and now you expect me to 'get ready' for dinner there? You'll be handing me a key to a U-Haul next.”

“Shut up and get on the bike, Carmilla.” Laura pushed her lightly towards the bike. She waited until Carmilla was on with her feet planted on the ground before she swung her leg over the bike, and pulled herself against Carmilla's back, arms held firmly around her waist. 

Carmilla felt butterflies in her stomach as she started the bike so she could begin navigating to the address on the paper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought this chapter was going to be so hard to write because I sat down and literally nothing came to me. But once I started, I just couldn't stop! I'm really enjoying throwing some of Carmilla's POV into these chapters. Changes things up a bit. Thanks for sticking with me through 7 chapters!! I've got the next two or three mapped out in my head already so they should be fairly easy to write! Hope you're enjoying this story as much as I am! Let me know what you think!!
> 
> And as always, don't be afraid to stop by and say hello!
> 
> micanickel.tumblr.com


	8. Sharing Showers and Stories

Carmilla pulled her motorcycle into a parking spot, and allowed Laura to climb off before putting the kickstand down and climbing off after her.

“So,” Carmilla began, “where are we exactly?”

The GPS had taken them an hour outside of town to a place that Carmilla did not recognize. There were people walking around them, and somewhere in the distance, Carmilla could hear water running.

“This is where my dad used to take me camping when I was younger,” Laura explained. “I thought it would be fun to walk the trails and explore a little bit together. I haven't been here in years.”

Carmilla twisted her body until she felt her back pop. Riding for that long on her bike really made her feel so..stiff. She sighed and looked down at the smaller girl. “And what made you think that I would be up for hiking?”

Laura's eyebrows pulled together while she considered this. “I didn't really think about it, I guess. I just thought that it'd be something fun we could do together.”

“I'm not entirely sure that I'm dressed for this, cupcake.” 

She watched Laura look her up and down. Her expression changed to that of defeat as she took in the clothes that Carmilla was wearing. In typical Carmilla fashion, she was in her tight leather pants, a tight fitted black t-shirt, leather vest, and her black boots. 

“Well,” Laura hesitated. “Well we can walk a little ways, and if you get too hot or uncomfortable, we can head back to my apartment and hang out.”

Carmilla ran a hand through her hair as she considered her options: walking through the woods and potentially getting lost, all while being extremely uncomfortable and hot in all the leather she had on, or disappointing Laura and going back to her apartment. She didn't even really have to think about it before she had made up her mind. 

“Alright,” she groaned miserably, “lead the way, cutie.”

Laura's expression changed to one of extreme excitement, and she clapped her hands together. “Oh, yay! We're going to have so much fun!” She grabbed Carmilla's hand and pulled her in the direction of the sound of rushing water. 

They walked for a good five minutes before the came to an opening in the bushes and trees, and Carmilla felt her jaw drop. About fifty yards in front of them was a suspension bridge that disappeared into woods on the opposite side. Water rushed underneath the bridge in rapids and falls. She glanced to her side and noticed Laura was watching her, grinning from ear-to-ear. 

“I knew you wouldn't be disappointed!” She yanked Carmilla's hand and pulled her even closer to the bridge. 

“Are we-are we going to walk across that thing?” Carmilla swallowed, and her hands began to shake.

“Of course we are,” Laura nodded. “You're not afraid, are you?”

“I just-that's just a long way down if the bridge were to fall or something.” They had reached the walkway at the foot of the bridge, and Carmilla leaned over the side, staring down at the water. 

“Nothing is going to happen, you big sissy. I can't tell you how many times I've walked across this with my dad.” Laura tugged on her hand again, and Carmilla reluctantly followed. 

They walked exactly five steps onto the bridge, before the dizziness hit Carmilla. “Whoa,” she said as she tighten her grip on Laura's hand. 

Laura turned around to face her. “What's wrong, Carm?” Carmilla could hear the concern in her voice.

“I'm just really really dizzy all of a sudden. It just hit me like a brick wall.” Carmilla shook her head slightly to try to clear it.

“It's because the bridge is bouncing. I feel a little dizzy, too.” She squeezed Carmilla's hand again, and gave her a reassuring smile.

Carmilla took a few more steps out towards the middle of the bridge. Dizziness be damned, she was not going to chicken out and tell Laura they had to leave. They made it to the middle of the bridge before she felt her resolve weakening.

“Look, cupcake, I'm not really sure I can do-” Laura cut her off and turned her so she was facing the water rushing towards them. She pushed her up against the railing, and Carmilla sucked in a breath as she felt Laura's body press against her back.

“I'm not going to let anything happen to you, Carm. You're safe.” Laura whispered in her ear. “Now. Stop wigging out, and take in this incredible view.”

Carmilla turned her head slightly to the side until she could see Laura out of the corner of her eye. Laura glanced over at her, smiling, before turning her attention back to the water. 

“Isn't it beautiful, Carm?” 

Carmilla nodded and, without taking her eyes off of Laura, she said, “It really is, cupcake.” 

Laura pulled back and smiled at her. “Come on, let's go walk around some.” She held her hand out to Carmilla who took it, lacing their fingers together. 

–

“Don't tell me you're giving up on me now, Carm.” Laura stopped walking and turned to face the brunette stumbling behind her. 

“I'm not. Giving up.” Carmilla panted, coming up beside her. “These damn tree roots keep catching on my boots.”

“Well, maybe if you actually picked up your feet when you walk instead of _shuffling_ so much, you wouldn't keep tripping.” Laura teased.

Carmilla glared at her before stalking away, angrily. Laura chased after her. “You don't even know where we're going! Slow down!”

Carmilla kept up a brisk pace, and now it was Laura's turn to start tripping over random roots in the dirt. “Carm, I can't keep up. Will you please wait for me?”

Carmilla stopped abruptly, and turned around. Laura, not expecting her to stop so suddenly, slammed into her chest. Carmilla stumbled a few steps before gaining her footing, arms wrapped around Laura's back to keep her from falling on her face. Laura looked up into Carmilla's eyes, which were opened wide with surprise.

“I'm sorry I-” 

“I didn't think you-”

They both began rushing out apologies at the same time. Laura snapped her mouth shut and waited for Carmilla to finish what she had started saying.

“I didn't think you were that close to me.” Carmilla said, slowly. 

“I wasn't, but I was practically running to keep up with you. Short legs and all,” Laura joked, trying to ease the tension the moment had created. For the umpteenth time that day, their faces were incredibly close to each other.

Carmilla licked her lips, and Laura's eyes snapped down to watch the movement. She mindlessly imitated the motion, and noticed Carmilla's eyes flick down to her mouth as she did. 

“Uhm..” Carmilla began to say. Just then, something rustled in the bushes off of the trail, and the two girls jumped apart. Laura quickly ripped her backpack from behind her and zipped it open. She pulled out a spray bottle and held it tightly in her hand.

“What exactly is that?” Carmilla asked eyeing the bottle in Laura's hand. 

“It's-It's nothing. Just taking precautions.” Laura replied. She began to tuck the bottle back into her bag, but Carmilla snatched it out of her hand.

“Is this _day of the week bear spray_? Carmilla was trying her hardest not to laugh.

Laura frowned at her. “My dad has..safety concerns.”

“So you carry it around with you everywhere you go?” Carmilla was full on laughing now, unable to hold it in any longer. 

“I don't-no. I just thought it might come in handy today.” Laura made to grab the spray out of Carmilla's hand, but she lifted it above her head, just out of Laura's reach.

“And you think this spray would really do something if we were going to be attacked by a bear?”

“Carm. Stop making fun of me and just give me the damn spray.” She stopped trying to get it from Carmilla and held her bag open for the girl to drop it in. 

Carmilla dropped it into the bag, still chuckling lightly. “Are you ready to leave yet?”

“I guess we have been walking for about an hour and a half now.”

“Which means we have an hour and a half long walk back to my bike, and my feet are kind of starting to kill me. These boots aren't exactly meant for hiking.”

“Okay, okay, grumpy pants. We can head back now.” Laura said begrudgingly. She turned in the direction they had been coming from and began walking. 

“Finally,” she heard Carmilla breathe behind her. 

–

Two hours later, they still hadn't found their way out, and Carmilla was beginning to get irritated.

“I thought you said you knew where we were going.”

“I did,” Laura retorted. “We must have taken a wrong turn somewhere.” She stopped walking and looked around, trying to figure out where they were.

“How did we take a wrong turn? You seemed so sure this entire time we've been walking.”

“You've been distracting me, Carmilla.”

“Distracting? What have I been doing? I've just been walking behind you.” Carmilla argued.

“If by walking behind me, you mean complaining and groaning about how bad your feet hurt.”

“I only said one thing about my feet hurting.”

 _“How much further do we have? My feet are killing me. It's so hot out here. There are bugs everywhere. This is gross. My hair is getting so frizzy. Have I mentioned that my feet are killing me?_ ” Laura mimicked Carmilla.

“I don't remember saying any of that,” Carmilla said, sounding hurt.

“Please,” Laura scoffed. 

“Well I told you from the get-go that I wasn't going to enjoy this.”

“Then why did you say that you wanted to? All of this,” Laura threw her hands up in the air angrily, “could have been avoided had you been honest with me from the beginning.”

“I didn't want to disappoint you. You seemed so excited, and that adorable look on your face was too hard to say 'no' to.”

Laura opened her mouth to respond and immediately closed it. She furrowed her brow for a second, looking at Carmilla.

“You wouldn't have upset me if you had said you didn't want to do this. I would have been okay with just going back to my apartment. As long as we were still hanging out, I would have been happy.”

“I'll keep that in mind for next time,” Carmilla mumbled, looking down at her feet.

Laura took a few hesitant steps towards her and held out her hand. “Can we stop arguing now?”

Taking a deep breath in, Carmilla looked up and grabbed Laura's hand. “Fine. But I'm getting us out of here. No more wandering these trails and getting even more lost.” She pulled out her phone and typed in the original address that Laura had written down on the scrap piece of paper. “This will take us back to my bike.”

“We don't need to use GPS, Carm. I can get us out of here.”

“You've been saying that for two hours now, cupcake. We're doing this my way.” She held out her phone in front of them as it searched for their location. Once it found them, her phone announced that they were five minutes away from her bike. The blue line showed that they needed to continue on the path they were on and they would eventually come out on the other side of the suspension bridge they walked across previously. Laura started walking in the direction that the GPS indicated, but Carmilla pulled on her hand to stop her. 

Laura looked over her shoulder questioningly. “I thought you wanted to get out of here.”

“I do,” Carmilla began, “but I think if we cut through these woods, it'll be faster.” She pinched her fingers on her phone screen to make it zoom out, and showed Laura that the flag indicating their desired location was just on the other side of the light gray area on the screen. “See?”

“And now the adventure really begins!” Laura smiled and made her way into the woods.

They walked for a couple minutes before the sounds of a busy highway reached their ears. As the noise grew closer, they walked faster. A minute later, they went around a few trees, and a road appeared under their feet. Cars flew past them, and Carmilla pulled Laura closer to her.

“We need to be careful. This is a main road,” Carmilla moved so she was in between Laura and the road. “After such a thrilling day, it would really suck to get hit by a car.”

Laura laughed as they continued walking on the side of the road. They turned a corner, and were met with the glorious view of Carmilla's motorcycle sitting in an almost empty parking lot. 

“Well aren't you a site for sore eyes?” Carmilla exclaimed as they neared her bike. She patted the front tire when they reached it. “I sure am happy to see you, buddy.”

Laura rolled her eyes and grabbed her helmet on from the handlebars. “My hero,” she said sarcastically as she strapped the helmet around her chin. Carmilla grinned at her and put her own helmet on her head.

“Let's get you home, cutie.” She swung her leg over the bike, and waited for Laura to get on behind her before she started the ignition and began the hour long drive to Laura's apartment.

–

“No, Carm.” Laura scolded. “You need to get in the shower before you go lounging on my-” Her words were cut short as Carmilla flung her body down on her couch and stretched out with a groan. 

Carmilla smirked over at her. “What were you saying?”

“I don't want your dirty, stinky body all over my furniture.” She walked over to Carmilla and lifted her legs from the couch. “Get up and go take a shower. You can wear something of mine while I put your clothes in the wash.” She dropped her legs off to the side, away from the couch. 

Carmilla yelped as her body twisted, and she almost fell off the couch. She caught herself with one hand on the ground, and shifted her body so she could sit up on the couch.

“Are you going to shower, too?”

“I am,” Laura replied.

“You know what they say 'Save water, shower together,'” she raised her eyebrows at Laura suggestively.

Laura looked away quickly, feeling a blush creep up her face. “I'll shower after you, but thanks for the invite.”

Carmilla shrugged and stood from the couch. “I must say this is a first for me. Women don't usually turn down my invitations to shower.” 

She began walking towards Laura's bedroom, kicking off her boots as she went. “If you change your mind, you know where I'll be.” She pulled off her vest and dropped it to the floor when she made it to Laura's doorway. She turned and smirked at Laura who stood with her mouth open by the couch. “I'll save you some hot water.” She winked and, turning her back to Laura, pulled her shirt up and over her head revealing a black, lacey bra underneath. She tossed her shirt on the floor behind her and entered Laura's room. A few seconds later, Laura heard the unmistakable sound of leather pants hitting the floor. 

Laura let out a breath that she hadn't realized she was holding, and walked to her bedroom door. She heard the water turn on in the shower, followed by the sound of the shower curtain being pulled into place. She walked into her room and found a trail of Carmilla's clothes leading from her doorway to the bathroom. The door to the bathroom was left wide open, and Laura could head water dropping to the floor of the shower. She shook the mental image of Carmilla naked, water dripping from her slick skin and covered in soap spuds as she started to pick up the clothes off of the floor so she could wash them. 

Ten minutes later, Laura heard the water in the shower shut off. She stood from her bed and started rummaging through her drawers, trying to find something Carmilla could lounge around in until her clothes were done washing. 

“Uhm..where are the towels?” 

She glanced up at the sound of Carmilla's voice and felt her breath catch in her throat. Carmilla was standing just outside of her shower, completely naked, wet hair dripping down her shoulders. What she saw was even better than what she had briefly pictured in her mind earlier. She quickly looked back to the drawer she was digging through, hoping that Carmilla had not seen her look over. 

She cleared her throat before responding. “They're uhm...they're under the sink. I'm sorry, I should have told you before you got in.” 

“No worries, cutie.” She saw, out of the corner of her eye, Carmilla walk to the sink, and bend over to pull a towel out of the cabinet. 

Carmilla stood up and wrapped the towel around her body before making her way over to Laura who was still digging through her dresser. 

Laura straightened up quickly as she felt Carmilla press her breasts against her back, laying her chin on Laura's shoulder. 

“Find anything for me to wear?” Carmilla asked. The dampness from her towel started to seep through to Laura's shirt, and Laura had to take in a shaky breath to try to calm her nerves.

“I've got some sweatpants here for you to wear, and my t-shirts are in the middle drawer. You can wear anything in there. I'm going to uhm..I've got to go take a shower now.”

“I tried to shower as quickly as I could,” Carmilla called to her as she walked into the bathroom. “I didn't want to hog all of the hot water.”

“I think I'll be taking a cold shower,” Laura blurted out before she could stop herself. She heard Carmilla snicker behind her and turned around.

“Have I frustrated you a little, cupcake?” Carmilla asked innocently as she pulled the sweatpants on under the towel covering her torso.

“Not at all I just-get dressed and go watch TV, Carmilla.” 

Carmilla laughed lightly and began shifting through the t-shirts in Laura's dresser. Laura reached into the shower and turned the water on as cold as it would go. She looked over her shoulder to see that Carmilla had her back turned to the bathroom door. She dropped the towel that was still around her body and pulled the t-shirt she held in her hands over her head. Laura groaned quietly and started to remove her own clothes, secretly hoping that she could cause Carmilla some aggravation as payback.

She was down to her bra and panties when Carmilla's voice behind her made her jump.

“Do you mind if I use your hair brush?” Her hand was resting on the counter beside Laura, fingers inching towards the brush that rested beside the sink.

“No, no,” Laura stammered out. “Go ahead and use it.” She suddenly felt shy beneath Carmilla's wandering gaze. 

“Don't mind me. Go ahead and get in the shower.” She smirked and turned to face the mirror, pulling Laura's hair brush through the wet curls on her head.

Laura hesitated before turning her back to the mirror. She reached behind her and unhooked her bra, feeling Carmilla's eyes on her as she pulled it off. She took a deep breath and bent at the waist so she could slip out of her panties. As soon as they hit the floor, she stepped out of them and practically jumped into the shower. 

Once she was hidden behind the shower curtain, she let herself relax. The cold water was a shock at first, but her body quickly adjusted to it. She moved so her head was under the direct flow of the water coming from the shower head, and let it soak her hair before she reached for her shampoo on the edge of the tub.

Laura finished showering after fifteen minutes. She entered the living room, dressed in her favorite pair of blue-green jeans, matching tank top, and giraffe shirt. She saw Carmilla's leg dangling over the back of her couch, foot swaying to a beat Carmilla played in her head. 

“Made yourself comfortable, I see,” Laura remarked as she checked to see if Carmilla's laundry was done in the washing machine. Seeing that it was, she pulled the clothes out and tossed them in the dryer.

Carmilla shifted up on the couch and looked over at Laura. “I always make myself comfortable when I'm at home.” She smiled and patted the couch beside her. “Come sit down with me.”

“I'm going to make myself some cocoa first, would you like some?”

Carmilla nodded excitedly, and Laura went through the motions to make each of them cocoa. She finished and came into the living room with two steaming mugs in her hands. Carmilla sat up and relieved her of one, sipping carefully from the side of the mug. 

“Ah,” she sighed as she sat back into the cushions. 

Laura motioned with one hand for Carmilla to make room for her on the couch. She sat down, and Carmilla dropped her legs onto her lap. Laura rested her forearms against Carmilla's shins, cradling her mug in between her hands. She brought it up to her mouth and blew on it lightly before taking a delicate sip. She had burnt her tongue many times, and she definitely wanted to avoid having that happen again.

Carmilla set her mug down on the coffee table and sat up. In this position, she was almost sitting in Laura's lap. She grabbed Laura's mug from her hands and set it on the table beside her own mug. 

“Hey, what are you-” Laura began to object. 

“I want to cuddle.” Carmilla wrapped her arms around Laura's neck and fell backwards on the couch. Laura's lower body was still under Carmilla, but her face and chest was smashed against Carmilla's stomach.

“Uhm..Carm?” Laura said, voice muffled by Carmilla's shirt.

“Yes, cupcake?”

“I just need to-” Laura wiggled out of the hold Carmilla still had around her neck, and scooted up further on the couch so she could lay comfortably. She laid her head down on Carmilla's chest and threw her arm around her waist. “There. Much better.”

Carmilla laughed softly, and nuzzled her face into Laura's damp hair, inhaling deeply. 

“Are you _smelling_ me, Carmilla?” Laura teased.

“I like the way you smell. I kind of thought that I'd smell like you after using your shampoo, but it's not the same on me. You just smell so,” Carmilla inhaled deeply again, “beautiful,” she breathed out.

Laura blushed and poked Carmilla's side with the hand that was tucked in between them. “I didn't realize you were so attracted to my scent.”

“I'm attracted to a lot of things about you, cutie,” Carmilla said quietly. She took Laura's hand in her own, and started tracing shapes into her palm.

Laura lifted her head so she was looking at Carmilla. She gave her a shy smile, and brought their foreheads together briefly. 

“Me too, Carm,” she whispered. She pulled back and placed a light kiss on Carmilla's cheek, watching as the girl's eyes fluttered closed when her lips touched skin. When she brought her head back down to Carmilla's chest, she could hear her heart beating loudly, and she knew that hers was beating just as hard. 

They laid in silence, both enjoying the moment, before Carmilla cleared her throat. “So..TV?” Laura nodded in response, and Carmilla untangled their fingers so she could reach over to get the remote off of the table. She pressed power on the TV, and set the remote on her stomach so Laura could control what they watched. Of course she picked Doctor Who.

Carmilla groaned when she saw what Laura had selected, but Laura knew she didn't really mind. She had been getting into the show during the last few episodes they had watched. 

“Don't fall asleep, okay? We've got enough time to watch one episode, and then we need to start getting ready for dinner with everyone.”

“I can't make any promises, not when I'm this comfortable,” Carmilla said, eyes already closing.

“Well then maybe we should sit up or something.” Laura began to lift herself off of Carmilla.

“No no no,” Carmilla whined. “Don't get up. I won't fall asleep.” She tightened her grip around Laura's waist, ensuring that she couldn't sit up completely.

Laura relented, and laid back down. “Fine, but if I hear any snoring, we're sitting up.”

Carmilla smiled happily and turned her head so she was facing the TV. Laura noticed Carmilla's fingers twitching in her hand moments after the episode began to play. Ten minutes in, her feet started kicking. These were the telltale signs that she was in a light sleep, and Laura rolled her eyes. She knew she was going to fall asleep. She sighed and continued watching the show, too comfortable to wake Carmilla up. 

–

“Come on, Carmilla. We're already running late, and we still have to take your motorcycle back to your apartment and get your car.” Laura was waiting rather impatiently by the front door while Carmilla pulled her boots on.

“You shouldn't have let me fall asleep. You know I don't wake easily from naps.” Carmilla stood from the couch and quickly walked to Laura's side, grabbing her jacket and keys from the table by the door. 

“I didn't want to wake you. You're kind of a grouch whenever you're forced awake.”

“Then you have no one to blame but yourself.” Carmilla stuck her tongue out at Laura and opened the door. The girls stepped into the hallway, and Laura began to lock her door. 

“Why don't you just stay with me tonight? Your bike will be safe here, and we won't have to waste time by going back to your apartment to get your car.”

“Stay over two nights in a row? This is moving a little fast for me, cupcake.” Carmilla joked. 

Laura lightly pushed her shoulder. “Shut up. I won't even make you sleep on the couch tonight.”

“Oh, and I'm being invited into your bed? You're making this awfully hard to refuse.”

The doors opened to the elevator, and they walked towards the door to the building. “Then don't,” Laura said. “Sleep with me.”

Carmilla stopped walking and raised both of her eyebrows to Laura. “Sleep with you?”

Laura felt her face head up, and she rushed out an explanation. “Sleep over. I meant sleep over with me. Not like-not like sleep with me. I didn't mean that I wanted you to-that I wanted us to-I just think it'd be easiest, and I'm sure you don't want to sleep on the couch again. My bed is much more comfortable and there's so much more room. You don't have to if you don't want to, obviously. It just seems like a logical solution, and we're already running so late. So that's what I meant. I think you should sleep over with me. I slept really well last night with you, and I think I'd sleep even better if we spend the night together in my bed, and oh my god, I'm just digging myself in deeper here, aren't I?” She took a deep breath, trying to stop the word vomit from spilling out of her mouth. 

Carmilla had watched the girl ramble with an amused expression on her face, not saying a word. Finally, she placed her hand on Laura's shoulder and squeezed softly. 

“Stop freaking out, spaz, I'll stay over.”

Laura only nodded in response, not trusting herself to keep from going on another rant. 

“Let's get this dinner over with, shall we? I can't _wait_ to sleep with you.” Carmilla winked, and walked out the front door.

The door swung shut behind her, and Laura raised her eyes to the ceiling. “Worst. Crush. Ever.” she groaned, and followed Carmilla out into the night. 

–

They arrived at the pub ten minutes past the agreed upon time. Laura rushed inside while Carmilla dragged along behind her. She stood inside the doorway, and looked around until she located her friends in their usual round booth in the back corner. Carmilla came up to her side and nudged her hand. Laura looked down, and intertwined their fingers. Carmilla had a satisfied expression on her face, and Laura lead her over to the familiar table. 

As they neared the group, LaF spotted them, and a grin spread across their face. 

“You made it! We were beginning to wonder if you had forgotten about us!” They scooted out of the booth, and pulled Laura into a bone crushing hug. They gave Carmilla a quick, one-armed hug, and hopped back into the booth beside Perry. 

The girls slid into the booth across from them, and Perry smiled over at the two of them.

“Sorry we're late,” Laura started to explain, “ _someone_ fell asleep, and then decided to play diva while she was getting ready.”

Carmilla cut her eyes over at Laura. “It's not my fault you let me fall asleep.”

“We already went over this, Carm. You always get so grouchy when I wake you up.”

Carmilla opened her mouth to respond before LaF started laughing. “You two remind me of Perr and I,” they said affectionately.

“I don't think we argue like that, LaFontaine.” Perry said sounding hurt.

“No, we're not really arguing, Perr.” Laura laughed. “We had just discussed this before we left my apartment so it's..well it's funny, sort of.”

“So where's the ginger giant?” Carmilla asked as her eyes scanned the room.

“I'm not sure,” LaF said. “You did say she was coming, right L?”

Laura pulled out her phone to double check that Danny had said she was coming. “Yeah, in her last message, she said she'd be here.”

“She never responded to your message when you told her what time we were coming, though,” Perry pointed out to LaFontaine. 

“Maybe we should call her?” LaF suggested.

“I'm all for ignoring the fact that she's not here.” Carmilla crossed her arms and leaned back into the booth.

Laura smacked her leg playfully. “You said you'd be nice.”

“I said I'd be nice if she was, but she's not here right now.”

Laura rolled her eyes and turned her attention to LaF and Perry. “Go ahead and call her. Find out if she's still coming.”

Perry pulled out her phone, and dialed Danny's number while Carmilla and LaFontaine started talking about some science thing that was way over Laura's head. After speaking quietly into her phone for a minute, Perry hung up with a worried expression on her face. 

“She said something serious happened with the Summer Society, and she wasn't going to be able to make it. I tried to get her to elaborate, but she wouldn't.”

“I'm sure it's nothing. I don't even know why she still goes to all of those meetings. She's out of college now.” LaF said with a shrug.

“It was all really important to her, though. Apparently all of the girls really look up to her since she was president and all. I think I'd still want to be involved if I had done anything like that in college.”

“But instead, you spent your time investigating missing girls, and the possibility of the library achieving sentience.” LaF teased Laura.

“That was only my freshman year,” Laura said as she glared over at LaF. “Plus, my journalism teacher loved my video documentaries.”

The waitress came over just then and asked for their drink orders. LaF quickly spouted off what they wanted before turning back to Laura to continue discussing her extracurriculars in college. Perry placed a hand on their shoulder, stopping the argument before it even began. 

After everyone's drink orders had been placed, Carmilla turned to Laura. “So you experienced girls missing, and something weird going on with your library during your freshman year?”

“You mean she hasn't told you about this?” LaF asked astonished. “It was her proudest moment in high school. These girls were going missing around campus, and no one could figure out what was happening to them. Laura, over here, started documenting everything that was happening, and she posted her videos up on the school website. She actually had a pretty big following from it all.”

Carmilla looked impressed. “What happened with all of it?”

Laura answered before LaF could speak again. “It all ended up being something with the Alchemy Club. They were kidnapping girls and using them for some weird experiment. No one suspected those lab rats because most of them looked like the couldn't carry off a Twizzler.”

“Yep, and Laura saved the day. She found pictures from the parties that the girls were going missing at, and it all fell into place from there.” LaF smiled at Laura like a proud parent.

Laura shook her head and rolled her eyes at LaF. “It wasn't a big deal.”

“Stop being so modest, Laur. You saved them.” Perry said.

“Sounds pretty impressive to me, buttercup. Now what was that you said about the library?” Carmilla was far too interested in this.

“That was nothing. It was actually pretty easy to solve. The Zetas started this prank that the library was becoming..well..alive basically. They spread rumors that no one should go in the library after dark, and people actually started believing that crap. Some of the Zetas would hide in the stacks and freak people out. It got way out of hand. Test scores were dropping because students didn't want to stay in the library to study past a certain time. Assignments weren't getting finished. So, LaF and I sneaked in late one night and did a little exploring of our own. We recorded everything. Got a few of the Zeta Bros on camera. Everyone was really grateful that they could study all hours of the night again.”

“And you did all of that your freshman year? Missing girls and freaky library?” Carmilla was definitely impressed now.

“Well, yeah. But like I said, they weren't exactly hard to figure out.” Laura said nonchalantly. 

“Don't act like it was no big deal, Laura. Those stories got you the job as editor of the school newspaper, and you had a job at Silas Daily before we even graduated.” LaF said. 

“Whoa, cupcake,” Carmilla sounded shocked. “You have certainly downplayed your achievements.”

“You have no room to talk, Ms. Employee of the Year Forever.” Laura joked as she elbowed Carmilla in her side.

“Employee of the..what?” Perry asked.

“Carmilla has won Employee of the Month at the hospital since she started there. She has more right to brag than I do.”

“I don't know,” LaF said thoughtfully. “I think you're both pretty impressive to me.”

The four started laughing and the conversation carried on from there. Perry told stories of her time as Floor Don, and LaF mentioned many times their experiments failed or they had something almost catastrophic happen in the lab. Carmilla even brought up a few stories of her own from her days in college. The waitress returned a little while into their conversation and took their meal orders. Carmilla surprised Laura by saying that she was paying for everyone's dinner, and refused to listen to LaF's objections. 

“I'll pay the bill, you leave the tip. Deal?” She held out her hand to LaF.

They considered it for a second before reaching across the table and grasping it. “Deal.”

The bill arrived shortly after they had finished their food, and Carmilla scooped the black boot off of the table before Laura could see what the total was. She flipped it open, angling it away from Laura who had been leaning over, trying to peek inside. Tossing a few bills into the book, she shut it and placed it on the table. LaF pulled their wallet from the back pocket and placed a few bills on the top of the book. The group stood from the table, and walked towards the outside of the pub. 

“Oh,” LaF said sounding disappointed when they walked out the doors. “I was hoping you were riding your motorcycle. I've heard so much about it from Laura. I wanted to check it out for myself.”

“Do you ride?” Carmilla questioned.

“I _want to_ ,” LaF began, “but motorcycles kind of freak Perry out. She'd never let me get one.”

“And it's an excellent decision on my part.” Perry said matter-of-factly. “I can't believe Laura even rides with you.”

“It's not terrible, Perr. I was scared out of my mind the first time I rode, but now I absolutely love it.” Laura grinned at Carmilla who returned the smile without hesitation.

“Hmph. Well motorcycles just aren't my thing. Too dangerous.” Perry crossed her arms and turned to LaF. “Come on, sweetie. I'm ready to crawl into bed and watch some Netflix.”

They all hugged each other quickly, and when LaF and Perry were out of ear shot, Carmilla turned to Laura.

“I think I might like the ginger twins.” She linked her hand with Laura's and began walking towards Laura's car.

“I think they might like you, too, Carm.” Laura hadn't felt this happy in very long time.

–

They arrived back to Laura's apartment exhausted. Neither one had realized just how tired they were until the drive home. 

“I can't wait to get in bed and pass out,” Laura mumbled as she made her way into her bedroom.

Carmilla hesitated in the living room, unsure if she was supposed to follow or not.

Laura reached her doorway and turned to face the girl. “Are you coming to bed, or do you want to stay up and watch TV?”

Carmilla ran a hand nervously through her hair. “I just wanted to make sure that you really want this.”

“It's just sleeping, Carm. Come on.” She held her hand out for her to take. 

Carmilla crossed the room in a few strides and placed her hand in Laura's. “Well let's get to sleep then, cutie.” 

Laura pulled a pair of boxers and a tank top from her dresser. She tossed them to Carmilla, and pulled out a similar outfit for herself. The girls stood staring at each other awkwardly for a few seconds, before turning their backs to each other and undressing. Once she had changed, Laura crawled into her bed and scooted closer to the wall, leaving the space that was open to the room for Carmilla. 

Carmilla lifted the covers and laid down next to Laura on her back. They laid in silence, each too nervous to move closer to the other. Finally, Laura sighed and rolled onto her side, moving closer to Carmilla. She pulled Carmilla's arm around her and placed her head in the crook of Carmilla's neck. She brought the hand that wasn't between the two of them up to Carmilla's neck and ran her fingers through the hair that fell onto her shoulders. She felt Carmilla shiver at her touch, and she giggled.

“Get some sleep, cupcake.” Carmilla whispered. She kissed the top of Laura's head, and wrapped both arms around the girl. 

Laura closed her eyes and felt herself drifting as she listened to the soft thumping of Carmilla's heart. The sound was beginning to become her favorite lullaby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Much to my disappointment, this chapter was very difficult to write. I haven't been completely focused on it and it took me two days to finish. TWO! And to think I had this all in my head before I sat down to start writing. Writers block is no joke. Anyway! I hope you enjoyed it! Thank you for reading, and let me know what you think so far!!
> 
> And, as always, don't be afraid to stop by and say hello!  
> micanickel.tumblr.com


	9. Papa Hollis

Carmilla woke up the following morning to an empty bed. She sat up, confused, and looked around the room for the tiny girl she had fallen asleep with. She placed her hand on the sheets next to her. They were cold to the touch, and this told her that Laura had been out of the bed for a while. She stood up and tip-toed into the bathroom. It was empty as well. She ran her hand through her hair, wondering where Laura could have gone. Just then, she heard a banging noise in the kitchen followed by soft swearing and scuffling. 

“Shit!” Carmilla heard Laura exclaim in a whisper. “I swear, I'm going to fling you out that damn window.” 

Carmilla quickly walked out in the living room trying to locate Laura and whomever she was threatening to throw out of the window. The living room was vacant, however, so she hesitantly walked to the kitchen. What she saw when she got to the open doorway, she wouldn't soon forget. 

Laura Hollis was standing in the middle of her kitchen, gripping a skillet, and covered in flour from head to toe. There was a mixing bowl tipped over on the counter, flour spilling out of it, and random items strewn around the room. A trail of flour lead from the counter by the stove, to the cabinet on the opposite wall. Flour footprints painted the dark wood floors. Laura had turned around at the sound of Carmilla's footsteps and found her using the wall to hold herself up as she was bent over with silent laughter. 

“What are you-” she took a deep breath and tried to compose herself. “What are you doing, cupcake? Besides making an awful mess of your kitchen?”

Laura glared over at Carmilla, breathing exhaling roughly from her nose, before responding. “I was trying to make you breakfast. Bananas Foster Pancakes, to be exact.”

“It doesn't seem to be working out for you,” Carmilla laughed lightly.

Laura looked like she was on the verge of tears. “No, it doesn't. And if you're just going to stand there and make fun of me then I'll just-”

Carmilla cut her off. “Whoa, calm down there, kujo.” She walked over to Laura and grabbed ahold of the skillet she still had a death grip on. Laura released the pan, and Carmilla set it on the stove before taking Laura's hand in her own. She lead her over to the small table in the corner and pushed her into a seat. She took the one opposite her and folded her hands in front of her on the table. “Tell me what happened.”

Laura sighed and her shoulders slouched forward. “I woke up about two hours ago to a phone call from my dad. I didn't want to wake you, so I came out here and talked to him for a while. Today's-it's-well it's my parents anniversary, and he always gets so lonely and sad on their anniversary. So we were talking about my mom and how, every anniversary, she would wake him up with breakfast. Bananas Foster Pancakes, his favorite. And he was just telling me how happy that used to make him, and I just wanted to do something special for you since you've been so wonderful to me.” Laura's voice cracked, and she looked down at her hands, sniffing.

Carmilla stood up from her chair and drug it over beside Laura's. She sat back down and put a comforting arm around Laura's shoulders, squeezing gently.

Laura leaned into the embrace and continued talking. “My dad gave me the recipe, and I rushed to the store to grab everything I needed. I think I may have been a little too enthusiastic. Nothing was going right when I got back here. The bag of flour fell out of the cabinet and somehow managed to roll off of the counter onto the floor where it decided to _explode_.” She turned and gave the mess of flour that covered the floor a dirty look. “Of course, I was right in the line of fire, if you couldn't tell.” She gestured to her body, and Carmilla nodded, trying not to laugh. 

Laura took a deep breath and continued. “I was able to save some, though, so I wanted to still make breakfast. I can never crack eggs one handed, so I wanted to try it. I was trying to show off and be cool, although I don't know why, it's not like anyone was here to watch me, but I wanted to try it. I had already put all of the ingredients into that stupid mixing bowl so when I went to crack the egg on the side, it tipped over and everything started spilling out. I thought I could just scoop everything back into the bowl, though, since nothing had fallen on the floor. So I bent down to get my pan out of the cabinet, and there were other pans on top of it. I pulled really hard hoping to just be able to yank the one pan I needed out quickly. No such luck. The other pans started falling out of the cabinet, and they were making so much noise.”

Laura sighed heavily and leaned forward, letting her head fall on the table with a loud “thump!”

“Hey, it's the thought that counts,” Carmilla said as she rubbed Laura's back. “You tried really hard, and I can appreciate all of the effort that you put into this.”

Laura looked over at Carmilla, her expression watery. “But I just really wanted to make you breakfast.” With that, the flood gates seemed to open, and tears started flowing down her cheeks, cutting tracks through the thick flower that covered her face. 

Carmilla wrapped her arms around Laura's neck and pulled her head down to her shoulder. Laura began sobbing in earnest as she gripped the back of the tank top Carmilla was wearing. 

“No no no. We don't cry, cutie. Stop that right now.” Carmilla was used to dealing with sobbing individuals. Working in the hospital, being surrounded by so much death, she always had to comfort grieving family members. Laura crying, though, this was a whole new ball game. Yes, Laura had cried before whenever they got kicked out of the theater, but this crying was different. Those were angry, frustrated tears at the theater. These were heartbroken and devastated tears. 

Laura continued crying on Carmilla's shoulder, and she was beginning to become desperate. “Look, I really need you to stop right now because I'm not sure how to handle this, and I cry when people I care about are crying, and I'd really like to not cry right now. So please, Laura, for the love of god, stop crying.”

Laura stopped crying after a moment, and looked up into Carmilla's eyes. Her eyes were red and puffy, a mix of tears and flour covered her face. Her breath shook as she stared at Carmilla.

“Thank you,” Carmilla gave her a small smile. “Why don't we get you into the shower? Clean all of this flour off? While you're in there, I'll clean up the kitchen. We can go grab breakfast somewhere. Cook another morning when you're not so..upset.”

Laura looked down at her hands in her lap with a sad expression on her face. “You don't want me to make you breakfast?” The way she said it made Carmilla's heart break. She delicately took Laura's face in her hands, and made her look up again.

“No, that's not what I meant. I just think your emotions are running a little high right now, and it would be best if we did it another day. I'll stay over again and pretend to be asleep until you bring breakfast in, okay?”

Laura sniffed and nodded her head in agreement. Carmilla stood up and offered her hand to Laura, who took it before standing up. As they were walking out of the kitchen, Laura turned and looked at the mess she had made. She groaned and stopped walking.

“No, Carm. I can't let you clean all of this up by yourself. I should help, I made the mess.”

“I can handle it by myse-”

“It's my house, and I'm the one that made it look like a disaster struck here.”

“No.” Carmilla said simply.

“I'm going to help-” Laura tried to argue.

“No, you're not, creampuff. You're going to get your flour covered ass in the shower or I'm going to _make_ you get in the shower.”

“Make me? How the hell are you going to make me?” Laura asked.

Carmilla flashed her a mischievous grin before she picked her up like a baby and started walking towards the bedroom again. 

Laura struggled in Carmilla's arms, but the girl didn't give in. “Let me down right this instant, Carmilla Karnstein.”

“Oh ho, using last names, are we now? Trying to scare me?” Carmilla smiled down at Laura. “It didn't work with my mother, and it sure as hell isn't going to work with you, cutie.”

Laura stopped fighting and crossed her arms over her chest. “You can carry me to the bathroom all you want, but I'm still not going to get in the shower.” 

Carmilla chuckled darkly. “We'll see about that.” 

They entered Laura's bathroom, and Carmilla stepped over to the shower. Laura, thinking Carmilla was going to set her down, braced herself to flee the room as soon as her feet touched the floor.

Carmilla felt Laura's weight shift in her arms and shook her head. “It's not going to be that easy.” She lifted her leg and stepped into the tub. 

“What are you-” Laura began to ask, but it turned into a shriek as she felt Carmilla leaning forward. Carmilla laughed openly as Laura's arms went around her neck, and she clung on as if her life depended on it. 

“Don't fret, little duck, I've got you.” She reassured her as she grabbed the handle to turn on the water, and it started to flow from the faucet.

“Carmilla, you'd better not be doing what I think you're doing.” Laura was glaring up at her.

Carmilla smirked, and pulled the tab up on the faucet so the water started pouring out of the shower head. She stepped forward so Laura was directly under the flow and laughed once more as the girl started sputtering. 

“You are so dead, Carmilla.” Laura began struggling in her arms again.

Carmilla's feet slipped slightly underneath her while Laura struggled, and she felt a flutter of panic in her chest. It would not be good to fall right now. 

\--

Laura felt Carmilla slip, and she stopped all movement. The water was still pouring over her, soaking her shirt and shorts. She pouted, not looking at Carmilla for a few moments, before she sighed roughly. She turned her head, eyes narrowed in a glare, but her gaze stopped before it met Carmilla's. 

Carmilla's torso and legs were underneath the stream of water that was pouring from the shower head, but her head was tilted back so her hair wasn't getting wet. The tank top that Laura had given her to sleep in the night before was saturated and clinging to her skin, showing Laura the exact shape of Carmilla's breasts beneath the thin fabric. Laura felt like her heart was in her throat. It was pounding so hard. She tore her eyes away from Carmilla's chest and looked up. 

Carmilla was looking down at her with an amused expression on her face. Laura's face was burning, and she cleared her throat, looking at the shower wall again.

“Not mad at me anymore, cupcake?” Carmilla teased.

“I'm not-yes. Yes, I'm still mad at you. You're just a little..distracting right now.” Laura looked up at Carmilla with an angry expression on her face.

Carmilla raised an eyebrow, still looking down at her. “Oh. How am I distracting you?”

Laura tossed her hands up in the air angrily. “I have no idea, Carmilla. It couldn't have anything do with the soaking wet, white tank top that's practically see-through that you're wearing. Definitely not.”

“Is that sarcasm I detect?” 

“You knew exactly what you were doing when you carried me in here Carmilla Karnstein. This isn't fair. Put me down so I can get on with my shower without your..flawless body flustering me.”

“Damn. Last name again,” Carmilla laughed. “I'm in big trouble. But at least you're consenting to shower now.”

“There aren't very many things I _wouldn't_ consent to doing right now.” Laura snapped. Realizing what she had just said, she began to blush furiously again which only made her angrier.

“You're being very forward right now. I like this side of you, sweetheart.” She gave Laura a grin and placed her on her feet under the water.

Laura crossed her arms and continued to glare at Carmilla. “Either take your clothes off and join me, or get out.”

Carmilla bowed her head quickly, but Laura didn't miss the hint of red that was crawling up her cheeks. “I uh-we'll just-it probably wouldn't-that isn't the way I typically like to approach the start of a relationship, so I'll let you shower alone.” She yanked the shower curtain aside and stepped out quickly, pulling it closed behind her. 

Laura stood staring at the spot where Carmilla had just disappeared from feeling very confused. Carmilla practically undressed in front of her the day before, and she certainly wasn't shy when she got out completely naked after she had finished showering. Why was she being so weird now? Maybe all of the flirting was really just..harmless flirting. Laura pouted, the idea that Carmilla wasn't interested in her made her feel really..well, crappy. 

Whatever. She'd bring it up later, and force Carmilla to talk to her. She removed her soaking wet clothes and tossed them over the top of the shower curtain. 

–

Laura came out of her bedroom in fresh clothes and towel drying her hair. Carmilla smiled over at her from the couch that she was sprawled across. A towel was wrapped around her body, but Laura could still see the straps of the tank top on her shoulders. She must have put the towel around her to protect Laura's couch from getting wet.

“I was thinking,” Carmilla began, “maybe since it's your parents anniversary and all, you should spend the day with your dad. He would probably like the company, and I know that you haven't been to see him since we met.”

“Hm. That's actually not a bad idea.” Laura nodded. “But, are you sure you're up for meeting him today? I thought you would need more time to prepare yourself or something.”

“Meeting hi-no cupcake. I wouldn't be going with you. Not on a day like today.” Carmilla said shaking her head slightly.

Laura skipped over to Carmilla and leaned over the back of the couch. “You're coming.” She placed a chaste kiss on Carmilla's cheek and stood upright. “I washed your clothes that you wore yesterday. You can wear them again today.”

Carmilla stared at Laura with her mouth open. “I don't think it's a good idea. I really don't want to intrude, and I honestly thought I'd meet your dad on, oh I don't know, a happier occasion.”

“Don't be silly. My dad will be perfectly happy today. He loves having company.”

“But you said earlier that he always get sad and lonely every year on this day,” Carmilla whined. 

“I may have exaggerated. Or projected. Whatever.” Laura said waving her hand in the air. “My dad's a freaking ball of joy every damn day of the year. He just gets really nostalgic on their anniversary. _I'm_ the one that usually has meltdowns on days that remind me of my mom.” 

“So you weren't actually that upset about the pancakes?” Carmilla questioned.

“Well, that definitely didn't help anything, but no, I don't usually have freak outs over making a mess in the kitchen. I do that so often, I'm used to it,” Laura explained. “This morning just..wasn't a good time for that to happen.”

Carmilla stood up from the couch and walked over to Laura, pulling her into a hug. “You should have told me what was really bothering you. I was kind of worried about your mental health for a second.”

Laura scoffed and pushed Carmilla away from her. Carmilla leaned back, laughing, but didn't release her arms from around Laura's waist.

“I'm fine now. Something about the whole shower situation really took my mind off of..everything.” Laura winked at Carmilla and enjoyed watching her start to blush again.

“I'll go get dressed now, but call your dad to make sure it's okay that I'm coming with you.” She kissed Laura's forehead and started walking in the direction of the bedroom.

An hour later, Laura pulled into the driveway of her childhood home. It was a typical, two-story suburban home. Redbrick on the front with beige vinyl siding on the sides. One wide window was on the left side of the house. The curtains were pushed open, and Laura could just barely make out her living room through the window. She saw her dad's back walking away from the window, and she smiled, suddenly very eager to go inside.

She turned sideways in her seat to face Carmilla. “Are you ready to go in?”

Carmilla looked up with a pained expression on her face. Her fingers were fidgeting with a stray thread on Laura's passenger seat. “I've never met a girl's parents before. I'm not-I'm not the type that one would want to bring home to mom and dad.”

“Well I wanted to bring you home to meet my dad,” Laura shrugged. “So I guess that means you are the type..or you're _my_ type, at least.”

Carmilla's face brightened a little bit, but she continued to play with the thread between her index finger and thumb. 

Laura wracked her brain to think of a way to calm Carmilla's nerves. She looked up at the house again, anxious to get inside. Her eyes went to her old bedroom window, and she laughed at the memory that came to mind.

“That window right there,” she said to Carmilla as she pointed up to it, “it's my old bedroom window. When I was sixteen, my friend was throwing this party at her house because her parents were out of town and I really wanted to go. Obviously I couldn't tell my parents about it so I thought sneaking out was the best option. My dad had a pretty big fishing boat at the time, and he kept it parked right up against the house under my window. So I had the bright idea to hang out of my window by my fingertips and just..let go, hoping to land on the boat. Well, this was a Saturday, and I had forgotten that my dad usually took the boat out on Saturday's while my mom and I had our girls day. I didn't check to see that the boat was as close to the house as it normally was before I climbed out. Of course, with my luck, it wasn't. Probably a good four feet away from it's normal spot. Once I was out of the window and hanging, I realized my mistake but I couldn't pull myself back in my window, so I had no choice but to let go.” 

Carmilla winced. “God, cupcake. That wasn't smart.”

“You're telling me. My ankles still aren't the same. Broke both of them. _And_ my right wrist when I caught myself. I couldn't write for six weeks. I was so pissed at myself. But nowhere near as furious as my parents were. They heard me screaming after I landed and my dad flew out of the front door so fast. I've never seen him so angry.”

“Your dad had every right to be angry. You're lucky you only came away with a few broken bones.” Carmilla said, sounding like a parent herself. She even had the disappointed head shake down perfect.

Laura grinned over at her. “See? You sound just like my dad did that night! You're going to get along with him just fine. Come on.” With that, she unhooked her seat belt climbed out of the car before Carmilla could object.

She walked to the front of her car and looked through her windshield at Carmilla. She watched her sigh heavily before she unhooked her own seat belt and slowly climbed out of the car. Laura took her hand when she reached her, and they walked to the front door together. She could feel Carmilla's hand shaking in hers, and she rubbed her thumb in circles across the back of her hand. 

They reached the door, and Laura smiled over at Carmilla. “Just be yourself. He's going to love you.”

Carmilla laughed nervously and swallowed hard before nodding.

Laura used her free hand to grab the door knob and started to turn it. Carmilla stopped her and said “Shouldn't we knock or something?”

Laura looked over at her. “I grew up here, Carm. I don't have to knock.”

“Well maybe you don't, but I've never been here, and I'd like to make a good first impression. Barging in the house doesn't seem like a good way to do that.”

Laura rolled her eyes, but knocked on the door to appease her. She heard footsteps approaching, and the door was pulled open to reveal her father. He looked shocked for a minute as he looked at them. A grin spread across his face, and he pulled Laura into a bear hug which she gratefully returned. He lifted her off of her feet and spun her around a few times. He set her back down and held her at arms length, looking her up and down.

“What are you doing here, kid?” His wide grin was infectious.

“I thought we'd surprise you, and come spend the day here.”

“We?” Her dad looked over her shoulder, just now noticing Carmilla still standing awkwardly in the doorway.

“Oh! Right! Dad, this is Carmilla Karnstein. The uh..the girl I've been telling you about.”

Carmilla smiled weakly. “It's nice to meet you Mr. Hollis. I've heard so much about you.” She held out her hand to him, and he looked down at it for a moment. Then, in true Hollis form, he reached out and pulled Carmilla into her own bear hug. Laura watched, amused, as Carmilla stiffened but returned the hug after a beat. 

Her dad set Carmilla back on her feet and said “It's a pleasure, Carmilla, and please, call me Sherman.”

Laura could tell that Carmilla was still nervous, so she turned the attention back to herself. “I'm starving, Dad. Do you think you can whip up some breakfast for us?”

“Breakfast? It's lunchtime, kiddo.”

“Well, yeah, but,” she hesitated and glanced over at Carmilla, “we sort of had a mishap in the kitchen this morning, and we didn't really eat breakfast. So naturally, I'm craving it.”

“A mishap? Don't let her lie to you Mr. Hol-Sherman. This one,” Carmilla playfully poked Laura's shoulder, “made a huge mess in the kitchen and left me to clean up it up.”

“I did not leave you to clean it up!” Laura defended. “You forced me to get in the shower so you could clean it up yourself!”

“I thought it was better that you clean the flour off before it dyed your hair white,” Carmilla responded. “And I didn't think it was a good idea for the flour that was coating to sit much longer.”

Laura's dad stood watching the exchange with a smile on his face. “Alright, alright,” he interrupted as Laura opened her mouth to respond, “let's take this argument to the kitchen.” He turned on his heel and walked away.

Laura furrowed her brow angrily. “We weren't arguing, Dad.”

“Sure, sure,” he said over his shoulder.

Laura huffed and trailed after him. She heard Carmilla's footsteps following closely behind her. They entered the room, and Laura saw Carmilla smiling as she took in her surroundings. 

The kitchen hadn't changed in all the years that her family had lived there. The walls were a very light yellow that Laura's mom had picked before they moved in. She wanted the room to be bright and inviting. Yellow seemed to be that color. The appliances were all black to contrast with the white cabinets around the walls. Covering the floor was a warm, marbled tile. There was a wide island in the middle, with bar stools on one side. The counters, once pristine and white, carried the stains from many spills and messes made throughout the years. A window and a set of double doors covered most of the back door, and there was a small table underneath the window. Four chairs surrounded the table. 

Laura hopped up on one of the bar stools and patted the one next to her for Carmilla to sit on. Her dad started pulling food out of the fridge, getting to work on making breakfast for the three of them. 

“So, Carmilla,” he said as he opened cabinets looking for the correct pans that he needed, “Laura tells me you work in the ER. I bet that's an adrenaline rush.” 

Carmilla nodded in response, and began talking with her father about day-to-day operations at the hospital. 

Twenty minutes later, they were seated around the table by the window, plates loaded with scrambled eggs, roasted potatoes, and bacon. Laura watched between the two of them as they continued talking about working at the hospital or the police station. The discussion continued well after they had finished eating, and Laura was beginning to feel bored. Sure, she was happy that the two of them were getting along so well, but she couldn't join in this conversation. It just so happened that they actually had a few acquaintances in common. Carmilla, of course, knew all of the ambulance drivers in town, and her dad knew a few from his patrols. 

Laura tapped her fingers on the table in front of her. She looked between the two of them and sighed, pushing herself away from the table. 

Carmilla stopped talking, mid-sentence, and looked up at her. “You alright, cupcake?”

Laura's dad laughed heartily at the nickname, and Laura cut her eyes over to him. “I'm fine. I'm just going to go look for something in my old room. I'll be right back.” She leaned over and kissed her dad on his forehead. Carmilla resumed talking where she left off as Laura made her way back down the hallway and upstairs.

She walked down the carpeted hallway to her old room, smiling at the family pictures still hanging on the walls as she passed. She came to her old bedroom door and pushed it open. She was greeted with a blast of color and smells from her childhood. Her walls were pastel purple, why on Earth she had decided to paint them that color, she'll never know. The bedspread was tie-dyed and bright, even after being used for almost ten years. Her walls were plastered with paraphernalia from bands and TV shows that she was obsessed with during her teenage years. Seeing that her dad hadn't changed the room at all gave her this warm, fuzzy feeling inside. 

She picked up a book from her old desk, left the door open, and flopped down on her bed. She opened the book to a random page and began to read. Surely they'd get tired of work talk soon. 

–

Carmilla followed the directions Sherman had given her up to Laura's room. She came to the open doorway and smiled when she saw that Laura was passed out on her bed, and open book on her chest. 

“Hey, cutie.” She lightly shook Laura's shoulder. 

Laura groaned and rolled on her side. The book fell off of her chest and tumbled to the floor. 

“Come on. You need to get up.” She ran her fingers through Laura's hair, pushing it out of her face.

“Five more minutes,” Laura mumbled into the pillow her head was laying on. 

“No, you don't get five more minutes. You've been up here forever. We thought you got lost or something.”

“Carm, shhh. Sleepy time,” she reached out blindly, arm wrapping around Carmilla's neck, and pulled her forward. Carmilla's face was now buried in Laura's wild hair.

“We've been down there for two hours waiting on you,” Carmilla said, voice muffled in Laura's neck. “I think he would actually like to spend some time with you while we're here.”

Laura sighed and removed her arm from around Carmilla. “Fine. But I'm not happy about this.”

Carmilla sat up and smiled down at Laura. “Good,” she leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. “You don't have to be happy, just get your cute butt downstairs.”

She stood up and walked out of the room, leaving Laura on the bed. She found Sherman in the living room where she left him, sitting on the couch. She sat down in the recliner that faced the couch. 

“You were right,” Carmilla confirmed. “She fell asleep reading a book.”

Sherman chuckled. “I know my daughter. It was smart of you to not take that bet.”

“You two were down here placing bets on me?”

Carmilla looked towards to the stairs and saw Laura standing at the foot of them with her hands on her hips. She grinned at her which caused the scowl that Laura had on her face to be replaced with an answering smile. It was dazzling, and she looked even more beautiful than she had before she disappeared to her room. Her hair was sticking up in a few places, and her eyes had that just-woken-up look. Carmilla felt a tug in her chest as she watched Laura shuffle over to the couch and sit down beside her father.

“So are you two done with your boring work talk?” 

“I think Carmilla and I can contain ourselves if it keeps you down here with us,” her father answered.

Carmilla smiled over at him and nodded. “It'll be hard, though. I love talking about work.” She winked at Sherman and looked over at Laura who was absolutely beaming at the two of them.

“Okay, good. Do you guys want to play some board games?” Laura asked excitedly.

Carmilla and Sherman both groaned in unison. 

“What? I love board games.”

“Yes, _you_ do, kiddo, but not everyone shares your love.”

“You only hate playing with me because I win every time.”

Carmilla snorted, and Laura's head snapped over to her. “If you think you can beat me, then you'll play a game with me.”

Carmilla considered her for a minute. “Alright, cutie. What do you want to play?”

“Only the best game ever,” Laura said confidently. “Monopoly.”

With that, Sherman and Carmilla both groaned again, loudly.

–

“Boom!” Laura placed a hotel on Park Place with a flourish.

“No,” Carmilla said, reaching forward to grab the hotel off of the game board. “You can't do that. You have to buy four houses before you can put a hotel there.” 

“I did buy four houses!” 

“You did not! You had two there. Don't try to pull one over on me!”

“I'm not-” Laura stuttered out, “I paid enough money to equal the cost of the hotel, _plus_ two other houses.”

“I don't think so.”

“Dad, I gave you the money. Tell her.”

Her dad held his hands up in surrender. “I honestly wasn't paying attention to how much you gave me.”

“Ha!” Carmilla exclaimed.

“He didn't say that I didn't give him enough!” Laura argued.

“He as good as said just that!”

Her dad began laughing and both girls looked over at him. “We've been playing this game for almost four hours. It's never ending. Why don't we call it a night?”

“Well fine. Let's just all count our money and add up the cost of our properties with our houses, and we'll decide who won from that.” Laura picked up her money, thumbing through it as she added it all up in her head. 

Carmilla leaned forward on the board and swept her arms across it, scattering the pieces all over the board. She picked up hers and Sherman's money, shuffling it all together.

“Oops. Looks like you win by default, cupcake.”

“Carmilla! That's not-ugh!” She looked to her dad, expecting him to be upset at what Carmilla had done, but he was bent over in silent laughter. 

She glared at him and said, “I am never playing Monopoly with you two again.”

“Oh, no. Please say it isn't so,” Carmilla said sarcastically.

Laura crossed her arms, and glared at the ceiling.

“Laura,” her father interrupted her fuming, “you just won. Try not to look so upset.”

“I didn't win how I like to win.” She meant to sound angry, but it came out as more of a whine, and this caused a new round of laughter to come from her father and he was joined by Carmilla this time. She stood up from the table roughly. “Fine, I'm going to the bathroom. We're leaving when I'm done, so have this cleaned up by the time I come out.” 

She turned and walked into the hallway, not missing when her dad whispered to Carmilla, “She gets more and more like her mother every day.” 

Her heart swelled with his words, and she couldn't be upset with them anymore when she came out of the bathroom. They were waiting by the door for her, each wearing a sheepish expression on their face.

She walked to her dad, and pulled him into a hug. “Thank you for letting us hang out with you today, Dad,” she mumbled into his chest.

He laid his head on top of hers. “Anytime, Laura.”

She let go and moved to stand next to Carmilla, who completely surprised her by stepping forward and initiating a hug with her dad all on her own.

“I'm so glad I finally got to meet you, Sherman. You did such an amazing job raising your daughter. She's really something special.”

“I'm glad you think so, Carmilla. I'm sure this goes without saying, but take care of my girl. And don't be a stranger.” She saw his muscles flex in his arms as he gave Carmilla an extra squeeze before he let go. 

“Bye, Dad,” Laura said as she pulled open the door behind them and stepped out on the front porch.

“Don't stay away so long next time,” he said as he ruffled her hair. 

Together, her and Carmilla walked to her car and climbed in. She looked up at the house one last time, started her car and backed out of the driveway, waving to her father as they pulled away from the house. 

–

Laura put her car in park, and leaned her head against the headrest with a sigh. She stared out of the open moon roof above her head, looking at the stars scattered across the dark sky. The day had gone perfectly. Carmilla and her father had gotten along so well, and she was beyond happy at that. She couldn't help but wish that her mother had been there to meet the girl that she was quickly falling for.

“Penny for your thoughts, sweetheart?”

Laura jumped and looked over at Carmilla. In the moment of silence, she had almost forgotten that she was in the car with her.

“Just thinking about today. I had a really great time. My dad loves you,” she said simply.

Carmilla smiled softly at her. “He's a really great guy. You're a lucky girl to have him as your father.”

Laura nodded and reached across the car and took Carmilla's hand in hers. They sat in the silence of the night, listening to each others soft breathing. Laura hated to end the moment, but she was really tired and needed to get to bed. She had to go to Silas Daily early in the morning to speak with her editor about a piece she wanted her to work on. She squeezed Carmilla's hand and turned to open her door. 

Carmilla walked her to the door of her apartment building. Laura started to open the door, and she felt a hand on her arm. She turned to look at Carmilla questioningly.

“Are you not coming up?”

Carmilla shook her head. “I've got to work in the morning, and seeing as I don't have anything here with me, I should probably stay at my place tonight.”

“Oh,” Laura said sadly. She had forgotten that Carmilla was starting her three day stretch tomorrow. This meant that she probably wouldn't be seeing her until she had a day off.

“I'll pack a bag and take it to work with me tomorrow, okay? That way I can come over as soon as I get off and stay with you again. If..if that's alright.”

Laura nodded quickly. “You can stay here as long as you want. Bring enough clothes to last you all week if you have to.”

Carmilla laughed and smiled at Laura. “Be careful, cupcake. I'm going to think that you want me to move in here pretty soon.”

Laura blushed and turned her head away from Carmilla. Carmilla reached up and tugged on her chin. 

“I'm teasing. Don't look so embarrassed.”

“I know, it's just..” Laura thought for a second, trying to figure out how to say what she wanted without sounding like a total creep. “I just really miss you when you have to work. We don't see each other, and we hardly talk. It's tough to adjust to when you have so many days off in a row, and I get to see you as much as I want.”

Carmilla pulled Laura towards her, placing her hands around her waist. “And I miss you, too. But I have to make money somehow. But like I said, I'll take stuff with me to work tomorrow, and you'll see me as soon as I get off.”

Laura nodded, still feeling silly for saying she'd miss Carmilla, and put her arms around Carmilla's neck. “I still can't believe how well you got along with my dad. I'm not used to seeing that side of you around other people.”

“He's an easy guy to get along with. You two have a lot of similarities, so it was kind of like hanging out with a manlier version of you.”

“If you think him and I are a lot alike, you would've loved my mother. She..well..I want to be just like her when I grow up.”

“Cupcake, you _are_ grown up.” Carmilla teased.

“You know what I mean,” Laura laughed. “She would have loved you, you know. I wish you could have met her.”

“Well if she was half as amazing as you are, I'm sure I would have loved her, too.” Carmilla's expression softened, and she was giving Laura a look she had only seen a few times, like when their faces ended up together or when they were cuddling on the couch watching TV together. 

Carmilla's eyes flickered down to Laura's lips, and her eyes did the same. She watched Carmilla lick her lips slowly, and she brought her gaze back up to Carmilla's eyes. She was staring at her with a burning intensity. 

Carmilla's face was slowly coming closer to hers, and her heart started pounding in her chest. Was this really about to happen? 

When their lips were so close that Laura could feel Carmilla's warm breath tickling hers, Carmilla stopped moving forward. "Laura.." she whispered as her eyes searched Laura's for confirmation. 

Laura's breath caught in her throat. Not some stupid nickname. _Laura_. Her name had never sounded so sweet, and she didn't think she ever wanted to hear it come from anyone else's mouth. She always thought that her name was boring and nothing special. But the way Carmilla just said it, she fell in love with it. Every letter, each syllable. She loved the way it sounded coming from Carmilla, and she knew she was going to play it over and over again in her mind. She grit her teeth together quickly and surged forward to fill the small gap between them, catching Carmilla's lips with her own. Her eyes fluttered closed, and she tried to put all that she had been feeling since they met into the kiss. Carmilla instantly responded, her lips pushing softly against Laura's. 

Laura felt dizzy, like her vertigo was returning. Her head was spinning, and her ears were beginning to ring. She felt the world fall away from her when Carmilla's tongue grazed her bottom lip. She moaned into Carmilla's mouth, and parted her lips slightly, sliding her tongue against Carmilla's. The noise that Carmilla made sent chills up her spine, and she clutched onto her shoulders as if they were the only things holding her to the ground. Carmilla ran her hands up Laura's sides, causing another embarrassing moan to escape from her mouth. 

Laura tangled one of her hands into Carmilla's hair, the other wrapping around her shoulders to pull her closer. Carmilla responded by stepping forward and pushing Laura's back up against the door to her apartment building. Carmilla broke the kiss long enough to pull Laura's bottom lip in between her teeth and tug on it ever so slightly. She ran her tongue along her lip while it was in her mouth, and Laura felt a growl burst out of her throat. She untangled her hand from Carmilla's hair, reached behind her to find the handle to the door she was against. When she felt it in her hand, she twisted, and the girls fell inside the building.

“What the-” Carmilla started to say until she was forcefully pushed against the now closed front door.

Laura put a hand in Carmilla's hair again, tugging softly so her neck was exposed. She trailed kisses across her throat and sucked softly at the spot behind her ear. Carmilla squirmed underneath her kisses, and Laura felt a grin spreading on her face. She kissed her way across Carmilla's jawline before capturing her lips again. Carmilla wrapped her hands around Laura's waist and pulled their bodies flush against each other, deepening the kiss. 

Laura pulled back slightly, and opened her eyes. She drug her tongue softly against Carmilla's closed lips, feeling them part, giving her access to the girl's mouth. Carmilla's eyelids fluttered slightly, and Laura leaned in to kiss her again. 

–

“Okay, no. As much as I hate to end this make out session, I really need to get home.” 

They had somehow made their way up to Laura's apartment, and they were laying on the couch, Laura on top of Carmilla. Laura whined and leaned in to kiss Carmilla again, but Carmilla turned her head at the last second, causing Laura to plant a sloppy kiss on her cheek.

“I don't want you to go,” Laura mumbled against her face.

“I don't want to go either, cupcake. But it's really late, and I have to be up in,” she glanced at the clock on the wall and groaned, “four hours. I need to get some sleep if I'm going to be of any use at the hospital tomorrow.”

“Just sleep here. I promise I won't keep you up all night.”

“We've gone over this ten times already. I don't have any of my things here.” She flipped on her side, causing Laura to roll onto the couch and off of her. 

“Caaaarm,” Laura whined again. “Don't go. I think kissing your girlfriend is a perfectly good reason to miss out on some sleep.”

“Girlfriend?” Carmilla asked as she stood up to leave.

Laura sat up quickly. “Well I mean-I don't want to assume-I just thought-ya know what? Forget I said that.” Her face was burning, and she really just wanted to run and hide.

Carmilla laughed and bent down to kiss her. “Girlfriend works for me, cutie. I'll see you tomorrow after work.” She placed another soft kiss on Laura's lips, and walked out the door. 

Laura threw herself back on her couch, grinning from ear-to-ear. This day could not have gone any better. Carmilla getting along with her dad, Carmilla kissing her, Carmilla _kissing_ her. She kind of thought things would have gone further when they had gotten upstairs to her apartment, but when she had tried, Carmilla stopped her. She had mumbled something about being old fashioned and wanting to take things slow. While disappointed, Laura didn't really mind too much. She wasn't going to force the issue, and she still got to freaking kiss Carmilla. 

She stood up from her couch and skipped into her bedroom, feeling lighter than she ever had in her life. She took her phone out of her back pocket and immediately texted Carmilla.

 **Cupcake:** I don't think I said this enough, but thank you for an amazing day, Carm. You're really wonderful. I hope you have the sweetest dreams. XOXO.

 **Carm:** I don't think I've ever had such an amazing day, sweetheart. I'm sure I'll be seeing you in my dreams tonight, so of course they'll be the sweetest.

Laura smiled at her phone as she plugged it in to the charger. She undressed and climbed into bed, choosing to sleep without clothes. She felt herself drifting off, her smile never leaving her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This. Chapter. Killed me. Kind of. It didn't take me two days to write like the last one did! Just 7 hours haha! But there were many breaks during, so don't think I was just glued to my laptop, typing. I need no pity! I really really enjoyed writing this chapter. Of course Papa Hollis loves Carmilla, she's a beautiful person, even if she doesn't show it to everyone. And I really don't think she'd be snarky and sarcastic to him like she is to Laura's friends. She's a respectable young lady, and she cares for Laura, so she wants her dad to like her. The monopoly bit was just a little something I threw in for fun. That game sucks, and it can really go on forever. Anyway! I wanted to get this up before I have to work the next three days, so I busted my butt and stayed up late to finish it! I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> And as always, don't be afraid to stop by and say hello!  
> micanickel.tumblr.com


	10. Typical Work Days

Laura woke up the following morning still ecstatic about the events that happened the previous night. Carmilla saying her name. Carmilla kissing her. Carmilla on top of her on the couch. Carmilla _underneath_ her on the couch. She laid in bed replaying her favorite parts of the night, which was just about all of it, until she absolutely had to get out of bed and get ready. She found herself humming while she was getting dressed, and she couldn't keep the stupid, giddy grin off of her face the entire drive to work.

As she walked in the main doors, she greeted the receptionist a little too enthusiastically, and earned a confused “Good morning” back. 

_“Tone it down, Hollis. People are going to think something's up.”_ She thought to herself. Although she wasn't planning on hiding her...relationship..with Carmilla, she wanted to make sure she told all of her closest friends the dirty details before everything got spread around the office.

She practically skipped into her editor's office. “Isn't it a fabulous morning, Kathy?”

Kathy looked up from the stack of papers she was sorting through on her desk and raised an eyebrow at Laura. “You're in a good mood this morning, Hollis.”

“I just..got a really good nights sleep last night,” she said trying to sound casual.

Kathy stared at her for a moment and turned her attention back to the papers on her desk. She thumbed through them and said, “Your new assignment is on your desk. I didn't know when you'd be coming in today, and I have meetings to get to. I thought that would be the best way to make sure you got it.”

“Excellent!” Laura said as she turned on her heal to leave the office.

“Hollis?” Kathy called.

Laura turned back around to face her. “Yes ma'am?”

“Whatever it is that's got you in such a good mood, you'd better start sharing.”

Laura laughed nervously and gave a thumbs up. When she reached her desk, she saw a small stack of papers in the middle. The top one was the assignment, the rest were just details about the editing schedule, and when it would be in the paper. She sat down in her chair, picking up the first piece of paper so she could look it over. 

“Celebrating those that save us...” Laura read quietly. She skimmed through the paper quickly making sure to pick out the basics. She jotted down a few ideas and opened her web browser on her computer to begin researching.

–

“Carmilla! We need you in trauma room one!”

Carmilla minimized the patient's chart she was working on and jumped out of her chair. She jogged down the hall to the room she was called to. 

“MVA. Severe trauma to the head. Extreme blood loss. Page CT and get them down here STAT, and then run to the lab and get some blood.”

“Got it.” Carmilla turned quickly and jogged back down the hall to the desk she was at. She picked up the phone and dialed the number for radiology.

“We've got someone down here that needs a head scan, ASAP.” She listened to the voice on the other line. “No, Collins, I don't care that you're behind on in-patient tests and you haven't eaten lunch yet. Someone is bleeding out in my ER right now. Stop making excuses and get your ass down here and do this scan before I have to do it myself.” She slammed the phone back down on the receiver. 

“ _What_?” she snapped at the nurse that was staring at her. The nurse jumped and looked back down at her computer. _“Newbies,”_ she thought to herself. She took off out of the ER into the main hospital, heading to the lab.

She punched in the code and flung the door open unceremoniously. “The ER is out of blood. I need O neg. We've got a trauma, and it's not looking good.”

The lab techs flew out of their seats, scrambling with doors behind them. She opened her arms, and they shoved red bags in her arms. 

“Thanks, guys!” she called as she ran back into the main hospital. 

She entered the ER again and sprinted to the room. “I've got the blood!” She tossed a bag into the waiting hands of the nurse that was standing at the head of the bed. As they were hanging the blood from the poll beside the bed, the monitor that alerted them of lethal heart rhythms started alarming. 

“Asystole. Someone start compressions,” the doctor who was working with the patient commanded. The bed was too high for Carmilla to do standing compressions, so she leapt onto the bed, kneeling beside the patient. She placed her hands in the appropriate positions, and started singing in her head as she pumped, _“Ah. Ah. Ah. Ah. Stayin' alive, stayin' alive.”_ She had learned that trick when she first started nursing school years ago. It was the perfect song to do compressions to. 

The doctor called out orders to the other nurses surrounding the bed. They pushed medication and waited for the patients heart to respond. When it didn't restart, Carmilla continued with compressions until she heard the doctor say, “Okay, we're going to have to use the defibrillator on him.”

She kept up her rhythm as another nurse pulled out pads from the crash cart. The nurse applied the patches to the patient's chest, and everyone turned their attention to the machine while it analyzed the rhythm. When the lightning bolt flashed green on the screen, Carmilla hopped off of the bed and stood back, not wanting to be shocked along with the patient. The machine shocked the patient, and Carmilla turned to face the monitors, fingers crossed beside her, hoping that they had gotten a rhythm back. The heart monitor started beeping, and a normal sinus rhythm started trailing across the screen. The group in the room exhaled together.

“Good job, guys,” the doctor said to them all. “Let's get him up to the operating room immediately before he crashes again.” 

The nurses all around nodded, and three of them went to the bed to start wheeling it out of the room. The doctor turned to Carmilla and smiled at her. “Nice job on those compressions, Karnstein. You always impress the shit out of me.”

“It's all in the form,” Carmilla said cockily, and she flexed her biceps at the doctor.

The doctor rolled his eyes. “You can't ever just take a damn compliment like a normal person, can you?”

“What would be the fun in that, doc?”

He shook his head and walked out of the room while saying, “I can't believe I vote for you every month.”

“You know you love me!” she called after his retreating back.

She walked back over to the computer she was sitting at previously. Sighing, she ran her hands through her hair and brought up the chart she was working on before the trauma came in. Five minutes later, an ambulance with it's sirens blaring pulled in front of the doors to the emergency room. Carmilla looked up from what she was doing and groaned. Today was just going to be one of those days.

–

Laura was sitting at her desk typing the beginning to her article. She had names of the people she had contacted for interviews written beside her with the dates and times of the interviews scrawled messily next to them.

She pulled open the drawer to her desk and picked up her phone. No new messages. She was sure that Carmilla would have tried to get in touch with her by now. Especially considering the events of the night before. Maybe Carmilla was regretting everything that had happened, and she was planning on avoiding Laura.

Laura shook her head slightly. That wasn't it. If all of the whimpers and moans were any indication, Carmilla had _really_ enjoyed what they had done on her couch. And in the hallway. And by the front door of the building. And, okay, the elevator, too. 

She decided that she was just going to have to message Carmilla herself. She typed out and erased the message seven different times before she settled on something simple that didn't make her seem like a crazy, obsessed person.

 **Cupcake:** Hey! How's your day going?

She set her phone down on her desk, making sure that it was on vibrate, and continued with her article. 

Half an hour later, she leaned back in her chair with a sigh. She had typed as much as she could without the interviews included. There just really wasn't much else she could do, and her first interview wasn't scheduled until the following day. Her boss didn't like people riding the clock, so she packed up her things and headed home.

On the drive home, her phone made the notification sound that meant she had received a text. She normally didn't like to text and drive, so she waited until she was at a stop light to pull it out of her bag and check to see who had messaged her. 

**Danny:** Are you free to grab a bite to eat?

Laura bit her lip, glancing at the time. It was still pretty early on in the afternoon. Carmilla wouldn't be off from the hospital until around seven that night, so she had plenty of time to eat something now and be hungry again whenever Carmilla arrived at her apartment later.

 **Hollis:** Sure thing! I actually just left the paper. Wanna meet at the pub?

Danny's response was almost instantaneous. 

**Danny:** Great! I'll see you there!

Laura tucked her phone into her bag beside her, and navigated to the pub where her group usually held their get-togethers. 

When she arrived, she pulled around the side of the building and found an empty parking spot beside Danny's car. She checked her make-up in the mirror of her visor, and climbed out of her car. 

Danny was sitting in the far corner booth when she walked in, and she waved at her as she entered through the door. Laura smiled back and lifted her hand in return. 

“Hey L, how have you been?” Danny stood up and bent over to give Laura a hug.

“I've been great!” Laura said as she hugged Danny back. They slid into the booth across from each other. “I got another assignment at the paper today. I'm actually really excited about it.”

“What are you writing about?” Danny questioned.

“'Celebrating those that save us'” Laura quoted the headline of her article. “I've got a few interviews lined up with the chief of police, the fire station, and a nurse at the hospital. The woman I spoke with on the phone at the hospital was the head of relations, I think. I'm not even sure who the nurse is that I'll be interviewing, but she assured me that she's 'one of the best', so we'll see how that goes.”

Danny nodded to show that she was listening. “That should be a great read. You'll have to let me know when it's going to be in the paper so I can pick one up.”

“I always do!” Laura laughed. 

The waitress came over a few minutes later, and they ordered their food. When she walked away, Laura turned her attention back to Danny and asked her about what happened with the Summer Society that had caused her to miss the dinner the group had. 

“It was no big deal,” Danny waved it off.

“It must have been something big if it kept you tied up all night,” Laura urged. “I need some gossip. I've been sitting at my computer all morning. It was incredibly dull.”

Danny grinned over at her. “Well if you're sure you want to here about the life of sorority girls...” and with that, she was telling a long winded story about the shenanigans at the Summer Society.

–

Carmilla finally sat down in the break room three hours before her shift was over at the hospital. Trauma after trauma had come in. It seemed to be the rule of thumb that everything happened in threes, and this day turned out to be no exception. They had twelve traumas in all. Five of them had coded, and had to be rushed to emergency surgery. Four had been stabilized in the ER, and sent to the critical care units. The other three were well enough by the time they left the ER that they were placed in regular rooms on the upper floors. 

Even if it had turned out to be an overly exhausting day, Carmilla still considered it to be a great one because they hadn't lost anyone. She shifted in her seat, leaning on the back legs so she could reach her locker. She turned the dial to the combination lock, and tugged it open when she came to the last number of the code. She pulled her phone out of the locker and saw that the light in the corner was blinking, letting her know that she had messages that were waiting to be read. 

She smiled when she saw who it was from and typed out a response.

 **Carm:** This day is never ending. All I've wanted to do today was think about the taste of your lips, but these damn patients haven't allowed me to do so.

She imagined the blush that would show on Laura's face when she read her message, and hoped that she was surrounded by people who would notice and question her about it.

Her phone went off exactly two seconds later with a response.

 **Cupcake:** How dare you send me something that makes me want to kiss you when I'm not anywhere near you!

The text was coupled with a blushing emoji and an angry face. 

**Carm:** My sincerest apologies, m'lady. How has this day treated you?

 **Cupcake:** You don't have to be so formal. You realize that my tongue has been in your mouth?

Carmilla blushed and whipped her head around, making sure that no one was in the room with her. Her phone vibrated in her hand as another message came through. 

**Cupcake:** Today was great! I worked at the paper this morning, and then met Danny for lunch. Now I'm lounging on my couch, watching Cake Boss while I wait for you.

 **Carm:** Lunch with the Jolly Green Giant? How did that go?

 **Cupcake:** Be nice, Carmilla. It was fun. We had a lot of catching up to do. Mostly just talked about the paper and the Summer Society.

 **Carm:** That sounds absolutely thrilling. I'm sorry I missed it.

 **Cupcake:** That'd better not be sarcasm, Karnstein.

 **Carm:** Am I ever sarcastic, sweetheart?

 **Cupcake:** You? Never.

The door to the break room opened and Hannah, another nurse in the ER entered.

“What's got you in such a good mood?” She asked when she saw Carmilla grinning at her phone.

“None of your damn business,” Carmilla snapped, annoyed at the intrusion.

Hannah held her hands up in surrender. “Whoa. Take a chill pill. I just asked a question.”

Carmilla rolled her eyes and quickly typed out a message to Laura. 

**Carm:** Duty calls. I'll see you later tonight.

She opened her locker and tossed her phone back inside. “I'll see you back out there in a bit. Enjoy the peace and quiet. It doesn't seem like things are going to settle down any time soon.”

Hannah nodded to Carmilla as she took a seat at the now empty table in the break room. Carmilla opened the door and made her way back to the excitement of the emergency room.

–

Laura was dozing on her couch when her phone started ringing and the buzzer to her door went off simultaneously. She picked her phone up and saw that Carmilla was calling her. So who the hell was at her door then?

“Hello?” She answered and sat up on the couch.

Carmilla sounded exhausted on the other line. _“Are you going to make me wait out here all night, or do I get to come in sometime in the next century?”_

“Oh! That's you at the door! I'm sorry!” Laura jumped up and rushed to her door, pressing the button to unlock the main door to the building.

 _“I've been pressing this damn button for almost ten minutes now. What the hell were you doing up there?”_

Laura could hear the door open and close in the background as Carmilla came into the building. “Oh, nothing. I definitely wasn't sleeping.”

Carmilla chuckled lightly. _“I should have known. I'm getting in the elevator, now. I'll see you in a sec.”_

The line disconnected, and Laura squealed. She ran over to the mirror by her bookshelves and did a quick once over. Her hair was a little disheveled, and she nervously ran a hand over it, trying to calm it down some. She heard faint footsteps walking down her hallway, and she ran back over to her door. 

She pulled it open, revealing an exhausted looking Carmilla. Laura had never seen her in her scrubs for work before, and she looked absolutely adorable. But, you know, in a badass way. She stood, savoring the sight of her, and realizing just how much she had missed her all day. 

“Can I uh..come in?” Carmilla asked.

Laura's eyes jumped open wide, and she scrambled to get out of the way. “Of-of course. Come in!”

Carmilla stepped into her apartment, and eased the bag she had slung across her chest onto the floor. She kicked the door closed, and pulled Laura into her arms. Her arms snaked around Laura's waist while Laura's went around her shoulders. 

Carmilla leaned forward and put her forehead against Laura's.

“Hey,” Laura breathed. She felt a soft smile spreading across her face as she looked at Carmilla. Her eyes were closed, and she seemed to completely relax as she held Laura.

Her eyes fluttered open, and she smiled when she saw Laura watching her. “Hey,” she whispered.

“Are you hungry? I could order us some take-out or something. I'm sure you know I don't have much to eat in my kitchen.”

“There's only one thing I'm hungry for right now,” Carmilla said seductively. Laura's heart skipped a beat as she realized what Carmilla meant.

“Pizza?” Laura joked.

Carmilla stared at her incredulously. “Cupcake.” 

“I know we're adults and all, Carm, but we really should eat something better than cake for dinner. Maybe I can get us some for dessert. Although, I'm not sure any take-out places will have cupcakes on their-”

Her words were cut off by Carmilla softly pressing her lips against hers. Carmilla pulled back slightly and smirked at her. “You talk too much.”

Laura narrowed her eyes. “That's like the pot calling the kettle black.” She tangled one of her hands in Carmilla's hair and pulled her forward, bringing their lips together again. 

Laura began walking backwards into the main part of the living room until she felt the couch hit the back of her knees. She kept one hand knotted in Carmilla's hair, and brought the other around to the collar of her shirt. She grabbed a handful of the fabric in her fist, holding Carmilla against her as they continued to kiss. She shifted to the side so there was room between her and the arm of the couch, and sat down quickly. Because she had Carmilla's shirt in her hand, and was gripping the back of her head, Carmilla was forced to bend at the waist. She grunted against Laura's lips at the sudden movement. 

The kiss deepened as Carmilla placed her hands on the back of the couch. She climbed on the couch, placing her knees on either side of Laura's waist, careful not to break the kiss. Once she was effectively straddling Laura, Carmilla's hands came off of the couch and cupped Laura's face. She ran her thumbs across Laura's cheeks, and Laura moaned at the gentle touch. 

Laura let go of Carmilla's collar, and brought her hand around behind Carmilla. She placed it hesitantly on her back, and began pulling the fabric up ever so slightly, hoping that Carmilla wouldn't notice. Laura had tried something similar to this the night before. She wasn't as subtle about it, and skin had just barely shown above Carmilla's jeans when a hand had quickly grasped her wrist to stop her. Laura could understand taking things slow, but she could at least try to get to second base, right?

The fabric continued to come up beneath her fingers, and Laura was sure Carmilla had felt it at this point. How could she not? Laura slowly finger-walked her hand down to Carmilla's waist. Not wanting to alert Carmilla to her sneakiness, she held in a gasp at the feeling of soft skin under her fingers. Carmilla shivered at her touch, but didn't pull away or try to stop her, so Laura took that to mean that she didn't have to stop. Laura gently removed her hand from Carmilla's hair, and brought it down with her other one. 

She began tracing her fingers softly along Carmilla's lower back, enjoying the feeling of Carmilla squirming as her fingertips touched new skin. 

“Does that tickle?” she giggled.

“It does something,” Carmilla mumbled against her lips, unwilling to stop kissing her long enough to respond. Her hands had found their way into Laura's hair, and she was pulling her forward to stop her from talking anymore. 

Laura giggled again, and she laid her hands out flat against Carmilla's back. She started pulling them up, bringing the shirt with them. When her thumbs touched Carmilla's bra, she stopped her movement upwards. She hooked her thumbs underneath Carmilla's bra, and slowly started sliding them across Carmilla's ribs. 

When she reached Carmilla's sides, Laura stopped moving, waiting for Carmilla's response. Carmilla only continued to run her tongue against Laura's, so Laura resumed her movements, thumbs slipping more underneath the bra. She felt Carmilla's breasts against the sides of her hands, and her breathing quickened slightly. There was still no negative movements from Carmilla, just the tugging of Laura's bottom lip between Carmilla's teeth. 

At last, Laura's hand reached the front of Carmilla's body. Carmilla shifted backwards slightly, which gave Laura easier access to her breasts. Her thumbs were completely underneath Carmilla's bra at this point. She twisted her hands so she was cupping both of Carmilla's breasts in her palms. Both of her thumbs shifted with this movement. The tips of both thumbs grazed against Carmilla's nipples. 

Carmilla gasped loudly into her mouth, and her hands pulled Laura's face tighter against hers. Laura rubbed her thumbs lightly over Carmilla's nipples, enjoying the feeling of them stiffening beneath her touch. Carmilla detached her lips from Laura's kissed along her jawline until she reached Laura's ear. She sucked softly on her ear lobe, tugging it in between her teeth. Laura moaned and pressed the palm of her hand onto Carmilla's breast more, earning a low moan in response. 

She kept her right hand in place, working the fabric of Carmilla's bra to the side, while her left hand trailed down Carmilla's stomach. She reached the waistband of Carmilla's scrub pants and felt the strings that held them up at her fingertips. She took one strand between her thumb and index finger and began pulling.

When the strings started coming undone, Carmilla's tongue stopped moving against Laura's neck, and she sat up with a sigh. She smiled down at Laura, shaking her head. Laura pouted, and pulled her hands out from underneath Carmilla's shirt. She set them down in her lap and huffed.

“While your enthusiasm is not appreciated, I just got off of a twelve hours shift. I haven't showered, and I'm starving.” As if on cue, her stomach gave a very loud grumble.

Laura frowned at her. “But you said you were _hungry_ , and you said it all suggestively.”

“I told you earlier that I wanted to spend my day thinking about the taste of your lips.” She leaned down and placed a quick kiss on Laura's mouth. “The rest of my shift proved to be extremely slow, which allowed me to do just that.” She kissed Laura again, slower this time.

Laura started to move her hands towards Carmilla's back again, when she pulled back laughing.

“You said you'd order us something, and then you mentioned pizza,” Carmilla reminded her. “That actually sounds really great. I'm going to hop in the shower.” She kissed Laura quickly again and swung one of her legs from around Laura's waist so she was sitting beside her. 

Laura looked over at her, still frowning.

“Feed me, please,” Carmilla said and tried to pout back to Laura.

Laura rolled her eyes and turned her head away while mumbling under her breath, “I'll feed you something.”

Carmilla laughed and leaned forward to kiss Laura's cheek. “I heard that, cutie.” She hopped up from the couch and walked in the direction of Laura's bathroom. When Laura heard the water in the shower turn on and the sounds that meant Carmilla had gotten in, she threw her head back on the couch and groaned loudly. 

Carmilla was the most frustrating human ever.

–

Laura was jerked awake the next morning when Carmilla jumped out from underneath her. Her head flopped onto the mattress, and she blinked sleepily around her.

“Carm, what the-”

“I slept through my alarm,” Carmilla was fumbling around in the dark, trying to find her work clothes.

Laura sat up quickly. “What time is it? Are you going to be late?” she rushed out.

“No, thankfully my internal alarm clock is pretty close to my _actual_ alarm, but I'm going to have to get out of here fast.” Her arms were full of clothes, and she ran into the bathroom. Laura heard the water in the sink turn on, and Carmilla started brushing her teeth. She threw the blanket off of her, and shuffled into the bathroom. 

Carmilla was standing at the sink with her toothbrush sticking out of her mouth. She had her scrub top around her neck, and was trying to wiggle into her pants using one hand to pull them up. 

Laura sighed. “Here, let me help you.” She walked over to Carmilla, who looked at her gratefully in the mirror above the sink. Laura squatted down and grabbed Carmilla's pants from around her ankles. As she stood up, she pulled them with her. She reached around Carmilla's waist and tugged the strings, tying them in a loop. Once they were secure, she dashed back into bedroom and dug through Carmilla's overnight bag, looking for socks. 

“Lift,” she demanded, kneeling at Carmilla's feet. Carmilla glanced down at her as she pulled her hair up in a messy bun. She had finished brushing her teeth and managed to get her scrub top on.

“I can put my socks on myse-”

“Lift,” she said forcefully.

Carmilla rolled her eyes and lifted her left foot off of the ground. Laura tapped her right ankle when she wanted her to lift that foot, and Carmilla obliged without arguing. 

“Do you need coffee or anything? I can probably get you some made before you go.”

“No need, cupcake. We've got pretty great coffee at the hospital.” She turned her head quickly and pecked Laura on the lips. “Thank you, though.”

Laura smiled at her and walked over to the toilet. She closed the lid and sat down, watching Carmilla carefully apply her mascara. Watching women do their make-up fascinated her. Her mom used to let her all the time. Carmilla finished in the bathroom and rushed out into the living room. Laura grabbed Carmilla's bag from the foot of the bed and carried it out into the living room. She set it at her feet while she waited for Carmilla.

“Do you want me to come stay with you tonight?” Carmilla asked as she slipped her shoes on.

“I close at the restaurant tonight so I won't get home until really late,” Laura said sadly. She looked down at her bare feet and scrunched up her toes.

Carmilla came to stand in front of her. “We were up pretty late last night. I won't mind driving over here after you get off if you want me to.” 

Laura looked up at her through her eyelashes. “Yeah, I guess you're right.” She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Carmilla's neck. “I just don't want you to miss out on any sleep. I'm sure you slept through your alarm because you were _so_ exhausted from last night's...activites.”

Carmilla laughed and placed her hands on Laura's hips. “You kept me up watching Doctor Who.”

“We were making out practically the entire time we were watching it,” Laura said.

“Yeah, except when something 'important' was happening, and you'd have to pay attention.”

“Well you were doing a good job of distracting me even when I did want to watch it.” Her hand went to her neck remembering the feeling of Carmilla's lips on her skin. Carmilla smirked at her knowingly, and Laura leaned forward to bring their lips together, and wiping the smirk off of Carmilla's face.

Carmilla tasted minty and fresh which reminded Laura that she hadn't brushed her teeth yet. She stopped herself from trying to take the kiss further and pulled away.

“I hope,” she kissed Carmilla's right cheek, “you have,” she kissed her left, “a great” she stood on her tip-toes so she could kiss her forehead, “day.” She finished by kissing her quickly on the lips. 

Carmilla scrunched up her nose at her. “Well hopefully I can spend the entire day thinking about last night,” she winked which made Laura blush even more. “Call me when you get off? If it's not too terribly late, I'll come over, okay?”

“Okay,” Laura agreed.

Carmilla stooped to pick up her bag that was at Laura's feet. She put the strap around her shoulder and turned to walk out the door. With one hand on the door knob, she turned back to face Laura. The smile she gave Laura sent butterflies bursting through her stomach. Laura watched as she pulled her free hand up to her face and blew a quick kiss her way. Laura raised her hand to catch it, making a fist. She brought her hand to her mouth and opened it, smacking her palm against her lips which made Carmilla laugh. 

“I have plenty saved for later,” Laura shrugged. “I wanted that one now.”

Carmilla rolled her eyes playfully. “I'll talk to you later.” She stepped out the door and pulled it closed behind her. 

Laura's shoulder drooped, and she turned to walk back into her bedroom. How was it possible to miss Carmilla already? 

It was still really early, just after six, so she had plenty of time to get more sleep before she needed to get ready for her three interviews that were scheduled later that day. The last one was at the hospital two hours before her shift started at the restaurant. Hopefully everything went smoothly so she wasn't late for work that night.

She crawled onto her bed, flopping down on the pillows when she reached the headboard. Her eyes slowly drooped shut, and she drifted to sleep, dreaming of kisses and smiles until her alarm went off two hours later.

–

Laura was in her car on the way to the hospital for her last interview of the day. The other two had gone fantastic, and she already had so much material for her story. She was considering giving up her shift tonight so she could work on her article, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to or not. There were plenty of people on the work Facebook page that wanted to pick up shifts, so it would be easy for her to give her shift away if she decided that she wanted to. 

Plus, if she didn't work tonight, Carmilla could come over earlier. Thinking this led her mind down a completely different path than it needed to be on right now, and she frowned at herself. 

“Now's not the time for that kind of thinking, Laura. Focus,” she said out loud.

She pulled into a spot in front of the hospital and gathered her notes from her passenger seat. She was sure to ask each interviewee different questions, not wanting the article to be boring and repetitive. She got out of her car, straightening out her clothes as she walked to the entrance. 

She was wearing a black skirt that came to just above her knees, and a light blue blouse. Her hair hung loosely on her shoulders in curls. Her boss never put a strict dress code at the paper, but she did push for them to dress professionally when they were in the field interviewing. 

She came to the doors of the hospital, and they slid apart, granting her access. She walked inside, glancing around the large lobby she had entered. In the middle of the wide room, there was an information desk, and she approached it. 

The woman seated at the desk looked up at her and smiled. “Good afternoon, how can I help you on this lovely day?”

Okay, weird. “I'm from Silas Daily. I spoke with,” Laura glanced down at the stack of papers she held in her hands, searching for the name she had scribbled, “Audrey Morris yesterday. She was going to set up an interview with a nurse for me. She didn't exactly tell me which way to go, just told me what time to be here.”

The woman chuckled. “Ms. Morris can be a bit scatter brained at times.” Seeing Laura's expression, she quickly carried on, “I'm sure she didn't forget to set up your interview. Let me give her a call really quick. You can have a seat over there.” She gestured to some of the cozy looking chairs that were in the lobby.

Laura nodded at her and turned her back to the desk. She walked to one of the chairs and sat down. She was still pretty close to the desk, and she could hear the woman's end of the conversation.

“Ms. Morris, there's a young lady here from the newspaper, she said you were going to give her an interview. Mhm. Alright. Okay. Yes ma'am. Oh, okay. Sure, I can take her there.” Laura quickly looked away when the woman hung up the phone and stood from her chair.

“Ma'am,” she called to Laura. Laura turned her head and looked at the woman. “If you'll follow me, I can lead you to where you need to go.”

“Okay, awesome.” Laura stood from her chair and followed the woman into the main part of the hospital.

She led her to an elevator and pressed the button to call it to them. “The ER is on the first floor so we have to go up one floor.”

“This isn't the first floor?” Laura asked.

“No ma'am. This is the ground floor,” she answered. Laura must have looked confused because she continued by saying, “It confuses people all of the time, dear. I can't tell you how many people get lost when they come up here.”

Laura hummed in response, but wasn't any less confused. The elevator doors opened, and they stepped in. The woman pressed the button for the first floor, and the elevator quickly shot up. The doors opened a split second later. They stepped out into a long hallway with doors flowing down either side. 

“It's easy to get lost up here. Our lab is here, the pharmacy, different supply rooms. I try not to wander around up here if I can help it.”

“It looks pretty impressive. How does anyone find anything up here?” Laura asked.

“Experience. And very carefully.” 

They turned the corner and came to a set of double doors with no way to get in. Laura looked over at the woman and raised her eyebrows.

“Are you sure this is the right place?”

The woman nodded, “Yes ma'am. I just have to get someone to let us in.” She walked to the phone that was hanging on the wall, okay when did that get there?, and spoke into the receiver quietly. There was a loud click! The doors swung open towards Laura, and she took a quick step backwards to avoid being hit by them.

“Alright dear, here we are. The second door on the left is where you'll be doing your interview! I'll go let them know at the desk that you're ready, and someone will be right in.” She smiled at Laura once more and turned down another hallway.

Laura watched her walk away for a second before taking a deep breath and entering the room that the woman had indicated for her to go in. The room looked as if it were normally used for patients, but had been neglected lately. There was a bed sitting in the middle of the room, void of sheets, and the cabinet doors hung open. Laura peeked inside of them, and saw that they were all empty. Two chairs sat on either side of the bed, and Laura sat down in one, still glancing around the room. 

A loud voice sounded from outside the door Laura had just came through, and she sat up straight, ready to greet whoever came through in the room.

“No, jackass. I have to do this damn interview. Yeah, Audrey set it up. It's for the paper or some shit.” Laura strained to hear whoever the person was talking to, but she couldn't hear any responses. “I don't know what it's about. No, I didn't fight for the interview, I don't even want to do it. I owe Audrey a favor, okay? It has absolutely nothing to do with that. Look. If you want to know why you weren't picked for the article, then maybe you should go ask Audrey. Shut the hell up, idiot.” The person was laughing now. “I just want to get this over with, okay? Now go away.”

Great, whoever she was interviewing definitely did not want to be interviewed. She was starting to get pissed. This was her job, and she was being treated like crap. Maybe she should just leave, and call Ms. Morris again to request another interview with someone a little more _willing_. Laura watched the door handle turn slowly, and the door was pushed open. She looked up angrily at whoever was standing in the doorway, ready to snap at them for wasting her time. 

“Well fuck, I definitely wasn't expecting you,” Carmilla said as she closed the door behind her. 

Laura's jaw dropped. “That was-that was you, Carm?”

“What was me?”

“All of that,” she waved her hand towards the door, “everything you just said outside the door. It didn't even sound like your voice. I didn't-I didn't recognize it. And you-you don't even want to do this interview.”

“Well my opinion of it sure has changed upon seeing you in here, cutie.” 

Laura shook her head sadly at Carmilla. “You think my job is stupid.”

“I never said that, Laura,” Carmilla defended. “I just-I have things that I need to be doing, and Jason was just aggravating me. He knows how to really get on my nerves, and he's jealous that Audrey didn't pick him to do the interview.”

“That doesn't really excuse anything you just said out there, Carm.” Laura crossed her arms and glared at Carmilla.

“I know it doesn't. Look, let's just sit down, and you can ask me as many questions as you'd like. I won't rush you, and I'll answer as openly as I legally can.”

“I think I'd rather interview someone who's a little more interested in what I'm doing with this article.” Laura stood from her seat and grabbed her papers from the bed where she had set them. She stepped towards the door, and Carmilla moved in front of her, blocking her exit. 

“Carmilla, move.”

“First of all, I'm not letting you leave here angry. People get into accidents when they're angry, and I'm not going to let that happen to you. Second of all, I want to do your damn interview, I promise. I just..I have to keep this image here at work. I can't let people know I'm secretly a softy, okay?” She took a hesitant step forward and opened her arms to Laura. 

Laura sighed and set her papers back down on the bed. She turned and fell into Carmilla's embrace. 

“I'm sorry I upset you, Laura,” Carmilla mumbled against her hair. “I really have been excited for this since Audrey told me about it this morning.”

“Then why did you say all of that stuff to that guy?” Laura leaned her head back so she could look at Carmilla.

“I wasn't kidding when I told you that I have to maintain my image. People here respect me. They listen to me and get shit done when I tell them to do something. If I start acting like I care, like I'm,” she shuttered playfully, “nice, they won't listen to me as well. The ER runs smoothly just the way it is. It's better on days that I'm here, and I'm not saying it's just because of me. The team that I have, we work really well together, but it would all fall apart if one of the pieces weren't exactly the same anymore. I don't know. I'm probably not making any sense.”

“No, you were. You totally just-can I quote you on that?” Laura pulled away from Carmilla and tossed her bag on the bed beside her papers. She unzipped it and began tearing through it in search of a pen.

“You bring your Doctor Who backpack to interviews?”

Laura stopped her search and looked over at Carmilla. She seemed to be holding in a laugh. 

“For your information, I got a ton of compliments about this today.”

“I'll just bet,” Carmilla laughed.

Laura stuck out her tongue to Carmilla and resumed searching through her bag. 

One hour, and many many kisses (that she would not be including in her article) later, she was in her car headed home so she could get ready for the work at the restaurant.

–

Carmilla was clocking out when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

“Hey, Kitty.”

She whipped around to face her brother. “Will!” She pulled him into a hug, grinning. “What the hell are you doing up here?” 

Will shrugged nonchalantly. “I remember you saying that you had to work tonight. I thought I'd come by since I never get to see you anymore.”

“I've been..busy.”

“Yes, you have. With that cute little waitress, right? What was her name again? Lauren?”

“Laura,” Carmilla corrected.

“Ah. See? You've got it bad, huh?” Will said. It was more of a statement than a question.

“What are you talking about, dipshit?”

“You never refer to them by their first names. At least not to me.”

“I was telling you her name because you're stupid and you got it wrong,” Carmilla said sounding annoyed. She did _not_ have it bad. And even if she did, she certainly wasn't going to tell her stupid little brother about it. 

They started walking through the hospital to the entrance that Carmilla usually parked by. While they were walking, Will started singing.

“ _You got, you got it bad, when you're on the phone, hang up and you call right back_.”

“Shut up, loser.” She shoved him lightly, unable to keep the smile off of her face.

“ _You got, you got it bad, if you miss a day without your friend, your whole life's off track_.”

“Will. You should keep your day job, your voice is terrible.” 

Determined to finish the next line of the chorus, even that didn't shut him up. “ _You know you got it bad when you're stuck in the house. You don't wanna have fun, it's all you think about_.”

“I hate you,” Carmilla deadpanned. 

Will chuckled, and he draped his arm across Carmilla's shoulders. She poked him in the side, but leaned into him as they walked.

“So when do I get to meet this girl that's stolen your heart?”

“You've already met her, dumbass.”

“Not denying that she's stolen your heart. Noted.” Carmilla glared up at him. “I meant formally. Other than her falling in your lap, which by the way, you have got to teach me that trick. Especially if it gets me some action.” 

Carmilla stepped out from under his arm and shoved him hard which caused him to lose his footing and stumble. “She's not just a piece of ass, so don't talk about her like she is.”

Will held his hands up defensively. “I never said she was one. I'm sure she's a wonderful girl if she's got you so tightly wrapped around her finger, Kitty.”

Carmilla glared at him for a moment before she relaxed. “Momma's boy,” she shoved him again, only much softer this time. He laughed and pulled her to his side again. 

They made it to her car, and he opened the door for her. She shot him a questioning look, and he shrugged. 

“Chivalry isn't dead.”

Carmilla rolled her eyes and got into her car, rolling down the window as she started the ignition. “Do you need a ride to your car?”

“I'm just over there,” Will jerked his chin in the direction of his truck.

“Alright, start walking. I'll make sure you get in safely.”

“My hero,” Will placed his hand on his chest and tossed his head back. 

Carmilla rolled her eyes. “Are you going to come to my apartment? Laura's working tonight, so if I go over there, it won't be until later.”

“I thought you'd never ask. We can watch some movies, and you can tell me all about your new girlfriend, and I'll even pick up some brews on my way over.” He smiled down at her, and wiggled his fingers at her in a wave and walked to his truck. 

She watched him go until he climbed up into the truck. Once he was inside, she pulled out of her parking spot. It had been a while since her and Will had spent any time together. Not since the night she met Laura, and she was really looking forward to it. Plus, she was getting free beer out of it. She was definitely the winner in this situation. She turned up her music and drove to her apartment, excited that she was finally off and getting to spend some quality time with her little brother, even if he did annoy the hell out of her most of the time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AH! This is my longest chapter so far! And what a journey it was to write. No, I'm lying. For being such a long chapter, it was actually really easy to write. No writer's block on this one for me! Anywhey. I'm trying not to focus on just Laura and Carmilla. I want to bring in more of their relationships with the other characters, even if the parts are pretty short. Hence the lunch with Danny and the little bit with Will. I know, we all love Hollstein, especially when they're so perfectly smitten, but I want more! SO! Dear Readers, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I cannot tell you all how thankful I am for your wonderful comments and kudos. They really do mean a lot! Thanks for reading!
> 
> And as always, don't be afraid to stop by and say hello!!  
> micanickel.tumblr.com
> 
> P.S. Who's excited for Season Zero?! I know I am :D less than a week to go!
> 
> also, P.P.S. FunFact! My sister's dog broke my nose about twenty minutes before I posted this chapter! It's so fun typing with a rag of ice on your freaking face.


	11. Bagheera

Two months had passed since Laura's article was posted in Silas Daily. The story had taken off without a hitch. A week after it was featured, an editor from The New York Times had found the article on Silas Daily's website and contacted Laura about featuring it in their paper. She was beyond thrilled, and of course she quickly agreed. The story becoming such a hit had given her a boost in pay, and her boss was giving her so many more stories to write. There was also the added bonus of, you know, the bonus she got from The New York Times themselves. The editor that contacted her promised to keep up with any further work that she had in Silas Daily. He gushed about her writing style.

Laura leaned back into the cushions on her couch and smiled at the memory that came to mind.

\--

Carmilla had put together a celebratory dinner in Laura's honor when she had accepted the offer from The New York Times, and she had invited all of Laura's closest friends and a few from the restaurant. The dinner was elegant and just all around amazing. Carmilla had taken them all to a very pricey restaurant that Laura honestly never even knew existed. Since she had insisted upon going to this particular restaurant, Carmilla paid the bill. Everyone tried to argue, but she had simply glared around the table while she stuck her fancy black card into the book the waiter had handed her. 

The night was everything she could have wanted and so much more. Even though her and Carmilla had been seeing each other for a little while before the dinner had taken place, they hadn't ever really discussed where they were in terms of their relationship. Sure, there had been that one moment when Laura had stupidly slipped up and called herself Carmilla's girlfriend on the _same night that they had their first kiss_ , but nothing had come up about it since. 

LaF constantly bugged Laura about bringing the subject up to Carmilla, but Laura didn't find it necessary. She was perfectly content with the way things were going, and she didn't want something like a label to ruin what they had. But the night of the dinner, LaF had had enough. Everyone was sitting around the table, chatting while they had their after-dinner wine, when LaF leaned across Perry and grabbed Laura's arm to pull her close. 

Laura, who had been talking with Carmilla and Betty, stopped mid-sentence and turned to face LaF with a frustrated expression on her face.

“Oh, uh..sorry,” LaF said looking embarrassed. “I just needed to talk to Laura about something sort of..private.”

Laura saw Carmilla shrug and turn to face Betty again out of the corner of her eye.

“What?” Laura whispered impatiently.

“Tonight's the night, L,” they said. 

Perry looked between the two with a worried expression on her face. She had been present through this conversation with LaF and Laura many times before, and Laura knew that it made her uncomfortable. 

“Sweetie, I don't know if right now is the best time..” She trailed off with a slight glance over to Carmilla who was still deep in conversation with Betty.

“Laura, you need to get some answers. You two have been nothing but heart eyes, hand holding, and touchy feely stuff all night long,” LaF said. “I'm confused about what's going on with you two, I can't imagine what's going on in your head.”

“I happen to like how things are,” Laura snapped quietly. “I don't think anything needs to change.”

“It's time to make her commit,” LaF whispered back feverishly. 

“LaFontaine, if Laura likes the way things are going, then I don't think there needs to be any clarification.”

Laura smiled over at Perry. “Thank you for saying that. I'm glad one of you agrees with me.” She narrowed her eyes at LaF.

LaFontaine glared back at Laura for a second before they sat up straight in their chair.

“Carmilla,” they said loudly. The conversation around the table stopped suddenly, and everyone turned to look at them. 

“LaFontaine. Don't,” Laura said.

Carmilla's eyes snapped to Laura. “Is there a reason I was so rudely interrupted,” she asked, “or did the mad scientist just feel like saying my name?”

“Laura and I were just talking and-”

“LaF, I'm serious. I don't want to do this right now.” Laura interjected.

Carmilla furrowed her brow and looked over at Laura. “What's going on?”

“It's nothing. I-we'll talk about it later.” She looked pointedly at LaFontaine. “I promise, we'll talk about it later.”

Carmilla stared at Laura for a moment. Her mouth was open like she wanted to say something, but she closed it and shook her head slightly. 

“Okay, cupcake.” She turned back to Betty, and their conversation continued where they had left off.

Laura sighed and leaned back in her chair with a frown on her face. Great. She knew she had to tell Carmilla what they had been talking about now that it had been brought up in front of all of her friends. She glared over at LaF who had a satisfied look on their face.

“Thanks a lot,” she mumbled.

“You'll really be thanking me later,” LaF said reassuringly. “I know you, Laura. You wouldn't be happy with this forever. You're a serial relationship girl.” 

“Whatever.” She crossed her arms and pouted in her chair until Carmilla turned to her and gave her a dazzling smile. Her mood instantly lifted, and she leaned forward to join in the conversation going around the table again.

Danny had even been invited by Carmilla which was a complete shock to Laura. She did feel bad though, because Danny was sitting across the massive round table from her, and they hadn't really had the chance to talk during dinner. Currently, Danny was in a massive debate with Kirsch about which football team was going to the Superbowl that year. 

“No, bro,” Kirsch argued, “the Packers are definitely the team to beat this year. Aaron Rodgers has got one hell of an arm.”

“Don't be an idiot. The Ravens are the best team in the league,” Danny said exasperatedly.

“Jacoby Jones was the only good thing that the Ravens had going for them, and they traded him.”

Danny seemed to consider this for a second before she responded. “I'll agree with you there. He was definitely a huge asset to the team, but I'm sure the managers had good enough reasons for trading him.”

“Good reasons or not, they screwed up, and they're going to pay for that this year.”

Danny rolled her eyes and looked across the table. She noticed that Laura was listening to their conversation, and she gave her a small smile. Laura grinned back and looked over at Carmilla. Betty had began talking to SJ, and Carmilla was leaning back in her chair looking very relaxed, a small smile playing on her lips. 

Laura sat back and leaned over to Carmilla.

“Hey, you.”

Carmilla smiled lazily at her. “Hey, are you enjoying yourself?”

“I really am, Carm. This was so amazing of you. I don't know how I'll be able to repay you.”

Carmilla chuckled lightly, “I can think of a few ways.” She leaned closer to Laura and placed a soft kiss on her cheek. 

Laura blushed and took Carmilla's hand in her own, intertwining their fingers together. “You'll have to enlighten me later when we're back at my place. Alone.”

“Ah, well if that's the plan, we'd better get out of here now.” She stood abruptly from the table and spoke to the group, “Alright everyone, dinner's over. It's been a pleasure, but I've got better things to do than sit around and talk to you.” She pulled Laura up with her and began walking towards the exit.

“Wait, Carm!” Laura said forcing her to stop walking, “we have to say goodbye to everyone!”

Carmilla groaned in frustration. “Fine, cutie. Go say goodbye, I'll meet you in the car.”

“You aren't going to come with me?”

“I've had enough of the Scooby Gang for one night. I'm sure they won't miss me.” She turned on her heel, and Laura watched her walk out of the door. 

Laura rolled her eyes and walked back over to the table where everyone was gathering their things.

“Sorry about that guys, she's just...” Laura trailed off not knowing how to explain Carmilla's behavior. 

“It's okay, Laura,” Danny responded. “We all know she's not the most sociable person in the world. It was really nice of her to do this, though.”

“It really was,” Perry agreed. “Be sure to tell her thank you for all of us. We didn't really get a chance to thank her ourselves.”

“That's honestly probably why she disappeared so quickly,” LaF said. “She doesn't seem like she responds to appreciation very well.”

“Or, you know, not how a normal human being would,” Danny joked. “No offense, Laur.”

Laura laughed softly. “It's okay, I know she's kind of grumpy sometimes.”

“I thought she was delightful,” Betty said coming over to stand next to Laura. She gave her a one armed hug. “You've really hit the jackpot with that one, Laura. If I had known her personality matched her looks, I would've fallen into her lap the night she came up to the restaurant.”

Laura laughed loudly this time and pushed Betty off of her. “You don't even swing that way!”

“Doesn't mean I can't try it at least one time,” she winked at Laura, “and with the way she looks in those leather pants, I don't really think I'd mind trying more than once.”

“See, L? You need to lock her down before Betty swoops her in and steals her from you,” LaF said.

“I don't think anyone could steal Carm-sexy from Laura, dudes.” Everyone turned their attention to Kirsch who looked embarrassed to have all of the attention on him. “I mean, she just couldn't keep her eyes off of Laura, right? I know I'm not the only one that noticed.” He looked around to the others for confirmation. 

Laura noticed they were all nodding their heads in agreement. She felt her heart flutter, and she had a little more courage to have 'the talk' with Carmilla. 

They all exited to the parking lot, yelling goodbyes as they separated to their own cars. LaFontaine and Perry had parked beside Carmilla, so they walked with Laura.

“I'm sorry about earlier, Laur. I just want you to be happy, that's all.”

“I know you meant well, LaF, don't worry.” She pulled them into a tight hug.

When they let go, Perry wrapped her arms around Laura's neck, giving her a giant hug. Laura flinched when Perry practically yelled into her ear, “I'm so proud of you, Laura!”

“Thanks, Perry,” Laura struggled to say, “but I can't really do much with my new found fame if I'm dead, and I kind of can't breathe right now.”

Perry let go quickly and apologized. “I'm so sorry, Laura. I didn't mean to-”

Laura's laughter interrupted her. “It's fine, Perr.”

Perry gave her a big smile and turned to LaF. “Are you ready to go, sweetie?”

LaF nodded and walked around their car to the driver's side. They opened the door, spouting a “later, L” over the car. Perry waved and opened the passenger door to climb in. Laura stood outside Carmilla's car until the reversed out of the parking spot. 

Once it was save to open her door, she climbed in and immediately grabbed Carmilla's jacket so she could pull her in for a kiss. They broke apart, leaning their foreheads against each others, breathing slightly irregular. 

“Thank you, Carm. Thank you so much. This may be the best night of my life,” Laura whispered.

“What will secure it for the number one spot?” Carmilla joked.

Laura hesitated before she responded. “Well one definite way would be if you agreed to be my girlfriend.” 

Carmilla rushed forward, pressing her lips against Laura's. “Absolutely,” she breathed into the kiss. “Yes yes yes, a thousand times, yes.” 

Laura felt her heart swell and butterflies took off in her stomach. She brought her hands up into Carmilla's hair, holding her in place. 

“I was so nervous,” she said in between kisses. “I didn't think you'd agree.”

Carmilla laughed, “Why would you think that?”

“I didn't really think relationships were your thing,” Laura shrugged, continuing to kiss Carmilla.

Carmilla leaned back, ending the kiss. She took Laura's face in her hands, a serious expression on her face. “Laura, I swear I would follow you to the ends of the Earth if you asked. You're everything I didn't even know I was searching for. I'm like putty in your delicate, little hands.” To emphasize her point, she let go of Laura's face and grabbed her hands instead. She brought them up to her mouth, and kissed the palms of both slowly. “Anything you ask of me, I shall be delighted to give.”

Laura stared at Carmilla. Her heart was beating an irregular rhythm in her chest, and she was unable to form a coherent sentence in response. Instead, she kissed her again. Carmilla sighed and parted her lips, allowing Laura's tongue to enter her mouth. 

They continued to kiss until Laura tried, unsuccessfully, to climb over the center console to straddle Carmilla. When she was halfway to her destination, her hand slipped on the steering wheel where she was balancing herself, and the horn blared. Both girls jumped at the sound, and Laura fell back into her seat with a groan. The moment was effectively ruined.

Carmilla laughed at Laura pouting in the passenger seat. “Don't worry, cupcake, we have plenty of time to continue where we left off, and we can do it in a much better place than the front seat of my car.”

“But your car is so sexy, and it would be really fun.”

“You're seriously upset about this right now?” Carmilla asked, laughing even harder at this. “I didn't think you'd want our first time to be in my car in some random parking lot.”

“I didn't think-I wasn't expecting-I just wanted to kiss you! I didn't want this to be our first time, Carmilla!” Laura crossed her arms across her chest, and her frown deepened even more when she felt herself blushing. 

Carmilla stopped laughing, and smiled softly over at Laura. “We can keep _kissing_ at your apartment. Don't be so sad.”

“Okay,” Laura said feeling herself cheer up at the thought of more kissing, “but I want _hours_ of kissing tonight. You don't have to work in the morning, and you brought your stuff so you could stay over again. There's no need for us to go to bed early.”

“I have absolutely no problem agreeing to that, cutie.” She leaned over and kissed Laura's temple. She eased her car out of the parking spot and drove to Laura's apartment. 

–

Two months of being able to call Carmilla her girlfriend, and not a day had passed that she wasn't thrilled at the thought. Anytime she introduced Carmilla to someone new, the word rolled off of her tongue like she had always been meant to say it in reference to Carmilla. 

Laura sat on her couch and mindlessly played a game she had recently downloaded onto her phone, GleeForever. She had been obsessed with the show during the first few seasons, and stuck with it even when the show had started to go downhill. When she saw on the show's Instagram account that they had created a game dedicated to the show, she couldn't help herself. She downloaded it instantly and played it whenever she was bored. 

Tapping on her phone screen along with the song that played from the speaker, she tried to figure out what she do with her day. Carmilla was at work and wouldn't be off until late that night, so Laura was spending her day alone. 

Part of her wanted to sit around her apartment all day, but she also had a plethora of cash in her bank account that she was anxious to spend. She wasn't really all that great with her money. Spontaneity was something she loved to live by, and with her new raise and funds, she was able to give into her urges without a second thought. 

The song she was playing ended, and she exited the game, tossing her phone to the side with a sigh. What to do on her first full day off in weeks?

She chewed on her bottom for a few seconds before she had a brilliant idea, and she jumped up from her couch. She rushed over to her door, grabbed her keys from the table, and practically ran out of the door to head to her car. 

–

Carmilla unlocked Laura's apartment door using the key that the girl had given her two weeks ago.

“You spend so much time here anyway, Carm, you might as well take it.”

Carmilla had acted nonchalant about the whole thing, but in reality, she was overjoyed that Laura had given her a key. Laura hadn't been lying, Carmilla was at her apartment basically every night. There were only a few week nights that she needed to stay at her own apartment. 

Carmilla tossed her keys onto the table that stood by the door, kicked off her shoes, and made her way into the apartment. The living room was empty, and Carmilla began to wonder if Laura was even home. There had been some nights that Laura had gone to dinner with LaF and Perry and didn't come home until late in the night. Laura usually found Carmilla passed out on the couch with the TV turned on to some infomercial playing. Carmilla pursed her lips. Laura definitely had to be home. She was really good about letting Carmilla know whenever she was going out, and Carmilla hadn't received a message from Laura about a dinner or anything.

Carmilla walked over to the kitchen, thinking that maybe Laura was trying to cook dinner for her again. As she neared the doorway, a crash sounded from the bedroom, and Carmilla heard Laura scream.

Carmilla turned quickly and ran into the bedroom. She threw open the door and found Laura standing in the middle of her bed, looking frantically around the room. 

“What? What is it?!” Carmilla yelled.

Laura jumped when she heard Carmilla's voice. She raised her hand and beckoned for Carmilla to join her. Carmilla took a few quick steps across the room and hopped up on the bed next to Laura. 

“We were playing on the bed, and I think I scared him. He ran and now I have no idea where he is.”

“Laura, what are you talking about? Who were you playing with?” Carmilla was even more confused now. She looked around the room and noticed that the lamp that usually sat on Laura's bedside table was laying on the floor. 

“Oh my gosh! I forgot that I didn't even tell you!” Laura yelped. “I don't know how you feel about animals, but..” Laura hesitated.

“Cupcake, spit it out.”

“I got a kitten.” 

Carmilla gaped at Laura. “You got-”

“A kitten. I was bored today.” Laura shrugged.

“You got a kitten because you were bored?”

“Yep. He's adorable. But like I said, we were playing on my bed, and I may have moved a little too quickly for him so he flew off of my bed. Now I have no idea where he is.”

“He's a fucking cat, Laura. How hard can it be to find him?” Carmilla scanned the room looking for the little puff ball.

“Well if you haven't noticed, my room has lots of dark hiding places.”

“You should still be able to find a cat, Sherlock. They're kind of hard to miss, even in dark areas.”

Laura stared at Carmilla, seemingly dumbfounded. “He's a black kitten, Carmilla. He sort of _blends in_ with the darkness.”

“You got a black kitten? Just a plain, old, boring black kitten?”

“He's not boring! His fur shines! He's gorgeous,” Laura argued. “And there's nothing boring about black cats.”

Carmilla rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Standing on your bed isn't going to do any good. We probably need to be on the floor to find him.”

“I just didn't want to step on him!”

“Well, you can keep looking for him from up here. _I'm_ getting off of this bed.” She jumped off of the side, causing Laura to gasp.

“Be careful, Carm!” 

Carmilla sighed and dropped down to her hands and knees so she could look underneath the bed. She slipped her phone out of her back pocket and turned on the flashlight. Two eyes flashed at her when the light hit them, and she grinned to herself. _“Gotcha,”_ she thought. She laid down on her stomach slowly and reached towards the tiny ball of fur. 

Laura noticed her movements, and squatted on the bed. “You found him already?” she squeaked. 

“I did tell you that staying on the bed wasn't going to do any good,” Carmilla answered as she stretched her arm out. Her fingertips were about an inch away from the kitten when Laura moved on the bed above her. The bed shifted and groaned, and the kitten jumped, backing away from Carmilla's outstretched fingers. 

“No no no, come here little guy,” Carmilla cooed. “It's okay, you'll be safe.” She rubbed her index finger and middle finger against her thumb in a circular motion. The kitten looked at her hand curiously and began inching forward, sniffing the air. Carmilla let the kitten sniff her hands for a moment, and she slowly started to pull it out from underneath the bed. The kitten seemed to hesitate just a little, but it gradually started walking forward, neck stretched as far as it could go to continue sniffing Carmilla's fingers. When he was close enough that she could grab him without the fear of him darting further under the bed, Carmilla scooped him into her hand, and pulled him out. She rose to her feet gingerly, cradling the kitten in her arms.

“Bagheera!” Laura squealed in excitement.

The kitten stiffened in Carmilla's arms, and she shot Laura a look that told her to be a little quieter. “He's scared, sweetheart. Let him calm down a little before you start yelling again.”

Laura crawled off of the bed and moved to stand next to Carmilla. She stuck out her hand slowly and scratched down the kittens back. 

“I'm sorry, buddy, I didn't mean to scare you.”

Carmilla felt the kitten start to purr in her arms, and he closed his eyes contently. “I think he likes you.”

“Of course he likes me, Carm. I'm his mommy!” She held out her hand for Carmilla to set the kitten in. Carmilla handed him over and brushed her shirt off where he had been nestled against her. 

“Now what was that you called him before?”

Laura looked up from petting the kitten in her arms. “Bagheera?”

“Bagheera like the panther? You named this tiny little ball of fluff after a massive panther?”

“Duh.” She took the kitten in both hands and held him in front of her face. “Because he's going to be a big, tough kitty one day. Aren't you, Bagheera?” She spoke in a way that she would to a baby, and Carmilla rolled her eyes.

“I'm going to shower. I smell like the basement of an abattoir.” 

“That's not something I like to picture when I think of how you smell,” Laura laughed. She leaned in and kissed Carmilla's cheek. “Baggy and I will be in the living room waiting for you.”

Carmilla groaned at the nickname causing Laura to laugh again. “I'll be right out. Try not to miss me too much.” She scratched the top of Bagheera's head, and he purred at her touch.

“Ahw Carm! I think he likes his second mommy, too!”

Carmilla raised her eyebrows at Laura. “You're trying really hard to live up to the lesbian stereotypes, huh cupcake?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Giving me a key? Getting a cat together?”

“I'm not-that's not-go get in the shower, Carm!”

Carmilla laughed and pulled Laura in to give her a quick peck on the lips. She turned around and started undressing. “Go pick a movie, I'll be out in a few.”

She heard Laura exit the room as she entered the bathroom and turned on the water in the shower. 

–

Much later into the night, Laura and Carmilla were curled up on the couch together watching Gilmore Girls. This was Carmilla's choice, which completely surprised Laura. When she had questioned Carmilla's choice, she had responded that it was one of her favorite shows growing up. She loved the mother-daughter relationship that was portrayed on the show, and the pop culture references were an added bonus.

Carmilla's head was in Laura's lap, and Bagheera was in a tight ball on Carmilla's stomach. As much as Carmilla had complained when the kitten had made his bed there, Laura thought that Carmilla secretly loved the affection that Bagheera was showing her. The gentle way that Carmilla had stroked the kitten until he fell asleep was telling enough, but Carmilla could not stop bragging about how the kitten had chosen her over Laura. She played along and acted upset, but Laura was really thrilled that the two had taken so well to each other. 

If she was being honest, she had been a little worried about how Carmilla would react when she came over to find the kitten. Not that Carmilla seemed to be an animal hater or anything. Whenever Laura had reacted excitedly to dogs they saw on the walks that they sometimes took, Carmilla would just groan and shuffle away if they came near her. Maybe that just meant that Carmilla disliked dogs. Laura didn't really understand how she could. They were always so happy and loved everyone that they met. 

Actually, that explained a lot. 

Laura's mind wandered to the next few weeks and everything that she needed to accomplish. She had deadlines coming out of her ears, and even interviews scheduled for herself about her article that was published in the Times. Halloween was also coming up, and she had yet to pick out a costume. Just then, a wonderful idea came to mind.

“Hey, Carm,” she whispered.

“Hm?” Carmilla groaned.

“You awake?”

“I just responded to-” Carmilla began before sighing. “Yes, Laura. I'm awake.”

“Did I wake you up, grumpy pants?” Laura giggled.

“I was just beginning to doze, so yes. What do you need?”

“I was thinking, since we haven't really hung out with the gang in a while...” Laura hesitated before she continued, waiting for Carmilla to let her know that she was listening.

“Mhm?”

“I think we should throw a Halloween party for everyone. We can do it here at my apartment. Get a fog machine. Decorate everything really creepy. Buy a ton of alcohol. Just have a really good time. Because everyone has been working so much lately, and I think that we could all use a night off with friends to just let go. And it would be so much fun to see everyone dressed up, which by the way, that's a rule if you want to come to the party. No costume, no entry. And I'm sure that LaF and Perry would contribute to the food and drinks. Danny's so tall, she could come over and help decorate. Can we please? Please please please?”

“Laura.”

“Yes, Carm?”

“Halloween is my favorite holiday. So I love the idea. There's no need for you to try to convince me. I don't love the idea of having to spend quality time with Xena while we decorate, but I'll do it. Now, can I please go back to sleep?”

Laura squealed and bent over so she could kiss Carmilla quickly. It was very messy, and Carmilla was wiping her face off with a disgusted look when Laura sat up giggling. 

“Sorry, that may have been a little too enthusiastic.”

“Ya think?” Carmilla glared up at Laura. 

“You liked it,” Laura teased.

Carmilla rolled her eyes. “I'll let you think that, cutie.” 

The episode on the TV ended, and the theme song for the show started playing. Laura danced from side-to-side, causing Carmilla's head to jerk around in her lap. Bagheera looked up from her stomach, blinking sleepily at the two of them.

“Hey now, stop that. You're waking up my sweet boy,” Carmilla said to Laura.

“Your sweet boy?” Laura laughed. “Carmilla Karnstein, you are such a sap.”

“Am not.” 

“You totally are. You're in love with the freaking cat. I can't believe you.”

“Whatever, I'm going back to sleep.” She closed her eyes tight, and Laura laughed even harder.

The next episode began to automatically play, and Laura watched for a few minutes, letting Carmilla drift off again. Laura started playing with the hair that had come loose from Carmilla's bun, and she could have sworn that Carmilla was purring while she did. It could have just been Bagheera, though. 

“Hey, Carm,” Laura whispered to her for the second time that night.

“Cupcake,” Carmilla responded, sounding slightly annoyed.

“You're a sap.” 

Laura quickly jumped up from the couch, causing Carmilla's head to jerk forward off of her lap. When she was standing, she took off running through her apartment to her bedroom, stumbling and laughing along the way. She heard footsteps behind her and she squealed. She hated being chased, but she also _loved_ being chased. It was weird. 

She flew into her bedroom door, fumbling with the knob in her hand while she tried to turn it. Just when it turned, and the door gave away in front of her, Carmilla grabbed her around the waist and spun her around. 

“Is that what you think of me?” Carmilla grinned mischievously.

“It-it might be,” Laura answered.

“I'll show you a sap, Hollis.” She scooped Laura off of her feet and carried her to the bed where she unceremoniously dropped her. Carmilla climbed on top of Laura effectively pinning her to the bed. 

Laura thrashed underneath her, knowing what was about to happen. “No, Carm, don't. Please. I was only kidding.”

Carmilla made both of her hands into claws and slowly lowered them down to Laura's sides. The closer they got, the more Laura bucked her hips, trying to throw Carmilla off of her. Carmilla had excellent balance, though, and she did not waiver in her movements. 

Her hands reached Laura's sides, and she stopped. “Am I a sap?”

“Yes,” Laura said quickly.

At her response, Carmilla attacked her sides, tickling her viciously. A burst of laughter escaped from Laura, and she tried to grab Carmilla's hands. Carmilla skillfully dodged Laura's hands and continued on with her assault. 

“Caaaaarm, please stop! I. Can't. Breathe!” Laura gasped. 

Carmilla fell off of Laura, laying beside her, breathless with laughter. Both girls laid on the bed until their laughter had subsided. Carmilla rolled onto her side so she was facing Laura.

“I am, though,” Carmilla said.

Laura turned her head to look at Carmilla. “You are what?”

“A sap,” Carmilla stated.

“So you're admitting it then?”

“How can I be anything but when I'm with you? What can I say, Laura? You turn me into a big ball of mush with just one look.” 

Laura grinned and leaned forward to kiss Carmilla. “So what did you do with Bagheera when you jumped up to chase me?” She asked when she pulled away.

“I carefully set him on the couch. Would you like for him to sleep with us tonight?”

“I didn't think you'd go for it! But yes!” Laura answered excitedly.

Carmilla shook her head. “I think I may have told you before that I'm absolutely unable to tell you no about anything you want.”

Laura snapped her fingers in the air. “Squire! Bring me my kitty!”

Carmilla laughed openly at this. “I'll be right back, madame.” She stood from the bed and walked into the living room. Laura heard the TV shut off, and a moment later, Carmilla entered the room with a black bundle in her arms.

Laura held her arms out in the air, clenching her hands into fists repeatedly. “Gimme.”

Carmilla gasped. “I don't get a 'please' or 'thank you'.”

“Thank you for getting Bagheera. Can you please gimme?” Laura continued forming her hands into fists until Carmilla sauntered over to her and held out Bagheera. He made a soft squeaking noise as she held him in the air. Laura grabbed him and tucked him into her chest. She shuffled backwards on the bed until her back was against the headrest. Not wanting to disturb the kitten in her arms, she kicked her feet until the covers were down by her ankles. 

Carmilla watched with an amused expression on her face as Laura tried to bring the covers over her body using only her feet. She eventually took pity on the girl and moved to pull the covers up for her. She climbed in the bed beside Laura, and they both snuggled down into the bed.

“Should I bed afraid that we're going to squish him tonight?” Laura asked worriedly.

“He's a smart little guy,” Carmilla said affectionately. “I think he'll move if his life is in danger.”

She sounded so sure of this, and Laura was instantly comforted. She scooted closer to Carmilla and laid her head on her chest, bringing Bagheera up to lay on Carmilla's stomach. Carmilla wrapped both of her arms around the two and sighed contently. Laura felt Carmilla nuzzle her face into her hair, inhaling deeply. 

“Goodnight, Carm.”

“Goodnight, Laura,” Carmilla whispered into her hair. She lifted her head so she could kiss Laura's forehead, and resumed nuzzling into her hair after. 

–

Laura woke up the following morning to a dead weight on her chest. She cracked her eyes open and looked down to see Carmilla sprawled diagonally across the bed, laying half on top of her. Her arm was thrown across Laura's stomach, her head was tucked into Laura's chest, and Laura could feel one of Carmilla's legs wrapped around her own. She debated trying to fall back asleep again, but after laying with her eyes closed for all of ten seconds, they snapped back open. She was way too excited to begin planning the Halloween party. 

Laura slowly shifted herself out from Carmilla's body, sliding her yellow pillow in place instead. Carmilla mumbled softly in her sleep and gripped onto the pillow. Laura straightened up beside her bed, stretching her arms over her head. Her back popped a few times, and she slouched with a satisfied smile on her face. She looked back down at the bed, watching Carmilla sleep for a moment. 

Carmilla always looked so peaceful whenever she was sleeping. All of the stresses and worries from the day were wiped from her face. Her lips were slightly parted, and Laura could hear her heavy breathing from where she stood. She reached down to brush a few strands of Carmilla's hair out of her face. At her touch, Carmilla sighed, and a slow smile spread across her face.

Laura pulled her hand away, hoping that she hadn't woken the girl. Carmilla wasn't exactly a morning person, and she wouldn't be too happy about being awake before eight. Carmilla didn't move again, though, and the small smile stayed in place. 

Laura glanced around the bed trying to locate Bagheera. She found him nestled in the upper corner of the mattress by the headboard. He was curled in a tight ball and seemed perfectly content. She contemplated taking him out in the living room with her, but she didn't want to risk waking Carmilla. Plus, he just really looked so comfortable.

She grabbed her phone off of her nightstand and exited her room, shutting the door quietly behind her. She walked into her kitchen and started a pot of coffee for Carmilla, knowing that she would want some the second her eyes opened. She pulled cocoa for herself and when it was finished, she sat on her couch with her phone in one hand and a steaming mug of cocoa in the other. 

**Laura:** Good morning! Are you up yet?

She copied the same message to Perry, hoping to get a response from at least one of them. Perry wasn't usually a late sleeper, but depending on their schedule, LaF would occasionally sleep in. 

Perry's response came through almost immediately.

 **PerrBear:** Good morning, Laura! What are you doing up so early?

 **Laura:** I couldn't really sleep. I want to run something by you.

 **PerrBear:** What's going on?

 **Laura:** Nothing bad, so don't start freaking out. Carm and I were just talking last night. I think we want to throw a Halloween party this year. What do you think?

 **PerrBear:** That sounds like a wonderful idea! Do you want to have it here?

 **Laura:** I was actually thinking my apartment. I couldn't ask you guy to throw a party that I've decided I want to throw.

 **PerrBear:** Nonsense. Your apartment is much too small to throw a party in. Especially if you expect to be able to invite all of your friends.

Laura frowned at her phone. She looked up around her apartment. She thought it was plenty big enough.

 **Laura:** I really don't want to put you guys out or anything.

 **PerrBear:** Don't even worry about that. As long as you promise to help with set up and clean up, it won't be a problem.

 **PerrBear:** Plus, it wouldn't be good to get in trouble with your landlords. I'm sure you remember what happened the last time we tried to have even a small get together at your place. 

Laura did, in fact, remember. They had tried to have a game night. LaF, Perry, Danny and Kirsch all came over to her apartment. Things had gotten..heated, to say the least, between Kirsch and Danny. Carmilla was just about at her breaking point with the two of them when someone started pounding on her door. Laura's landlords actually lived in the apartment above hers, and apparently they had heard just about everything the group had been arguing about.

It didn't really help matters that Carmilla had been the one to answer the door, and since she was already annoyed with Danny and Kirsch, she had kind of snapped at Laura's landlord. 

**Laura:** You make a good point. Okay, we'll do it at your place. But I'm going to be the one spending all of the money on decorations because this was my idea. 

**Laura:** And Carm was already prepared to set up and clean here, so I'm sure there will be no problem getting her to help with your house. I was thinking that we could ask Danny to help as well. She's so tall, she would really be helpful when we need to hang stuff. 

**PerrBear:** That sounds wonderful. Get in touch with Danny just to be sure. LaF is starting to wake up, so I'm going to go talk to them to make sure it's okay with them as well.

Laura set her phone down on the couch beside her and turned her TV on to the morning news. She never really paid too much attention to it. It was hard for her to stay focused. She definitely preferred reading from the newspaper instead, but she didn't have the one for today, and she had to stay caught up on current events. She sat watching the news for about ten minutes, and her phone started going off beside her. LaF's name flashed along her screen along with a preview of a text message. It disappeared before Laura could read it, so she picked her phone up.

 **LaF:** A Halloween party?! This is going to be awesome, L!! I have so many ideas of how we can decorate the house!

 **Laura:** I'm glad you're so excited about it! What all do you have planned today? Maybe we can get together to do some shopping. I'm sure Carm would be more willing to tag along if she knew you were going to come.

Laura was fascinated with LaF and Carmilla's relationship. The two had hit it off so well. Anytime they would go out as a group, Carmilla seemed to gravitate to LaF, leaving Laura to do her own thing. When Laura had asked Carmilla about it, Carmilla had simply shrugged stating that, “The mad scientist seemed to be the only one with brains” in the group. 

Laura had acted offended whenever Carmilla had said this, but she knew deep down that Carmilla just wasn't good at expressing her feelings. This was just her nonchalant way of saying that she really enjoyed LaF's company. 

**LaF:** Perr has some paper's to grade for her class, but I already told her I didn't want to sit around all day. She's already started on them, though, so she should be done in a few hours. I'll text you when we're ready to go? We can swing by and pick you two up?

 **Laura:** That would be great! See you later!

She was just about to text Danny about the party when she heard her bedroom door open behind her. She turned her head to see a disheveled Carmilla walking out of her room with Bagheera tucked under her arm. 

“Good morning, sleepyhead.”

Carmilla only grunted in response as she walked into the kitchen with her eyes half shut. Laura heard cabinets opening and closing, and a few moments later, Carmilla reemerged with a mug in her free hand. She came over to the couch and sat down beside Laura. Laying her head on Laura's shoulder, she tucked her feet up beside her and sighed.

“Thank you for the coffee, cupcake,” she mumbled sleepily.

Bagheera struggled to free himself from under her arm. He managed to wiggle out, and stretched on the cushion beside her. He slowly walked to the edge of the couch and looked over at Laura, mewling softly.

“I think he's trying to tell you that he wants down,” Carmilla grumbled.

Laura loved Carmilla's just-woken-up voice. It was so husky and deep that it sent chills down her spine. She shook them off and leaned forward to pick Bagheera up. She gently set him down on the floor, and watched him as he padded around her living room. She looked over at Carmilla and saw her eyes following his movements as well.

“So,” Laura began, “I talked to LaF and Perry this morning.”

“Why do the ginger twins insist on waking up so early?” Carmilla said into your shoulder.

Laura laughed at her comment. “Anyway, they both think that the party sounds like a wonderful idea. There's just one catch.”

Carmilla sighed heavily. “Why am I not surprised?”

“They just think that it would be better to have the party at their house, you know, considering the fact that we can't even have a fun game night without getting in trouble with my landlord.”  
Carmilla lifted her head and looked over at Laura. “You know, that's actually pretty smart.”

“Oh, good,” Laura said feeling relieved, “and I may have told them that we would help them set up decorations and clean aftewards.”

“Well I was going to have to help with that had we had the party here, so I see no difference really. Just a different space to clean.”

“Also, we're going shopping with them in a few hours after Perry finishes with her school work,” Laura rushed out, “so we have a little while to lounge around, but then we need to get dressed. LaF said they would let me know when they're on their way to pick us up.”

“I can't just stay here with Bagheera all day while you do the shopping?”

“Nope. You're coming with. LaF seemed excited to hang out with you.” Okay maybe that was a bit of a stretch, but Laura knew they would be once everyone was together.

“Xena isn't coming, is she?”

Laura thought for a moment. “I haven't asked her if she wants to, but I could.”

“God, please, no,” Carmilla groaned, “I don't want to spend my day off with the entire ginger squad.”

Laura nudged Carmilla with her shoulder. “Be nice.”

Carmilla sighed grumpily, and flopped down sideways on the couch. She stretched her legs out across your lap. “I'd rather she not come. I'm sure we'll be spending plenty of time together soon enough since we're going to need her help to decorate.”

“Okay, fine. I won't invite her to come shopping, but that means you're definitely coming. I'll give you an hour of TV time, and then you need to get up to get dressed.”

“Cupcake, you're sounding more like my mother everyday and less like my girlfriend,” Carmilla teased.

“Well maybe if someone could get herself ready without me following behind her every single step of the way, I wouldn't have to act like a mother.” Laura laid out beside Carmilla.

Carmilla smirked and opened her mouth to respond, but Laura stopped her words with a kiss. Carmilla hummed in appreciation and kissed Laura back. 

“I'll be ready when they get here,” Carmilla promised when Laura pulled back.

“That's what I thought.” Laura poked Carmilla's nose with her index finger and laid her head on Carmilla's chest to finish watching the last ten minutes of the morning news. It seemed kind of pointless now that she had missed the majority of it, but she hoped they were saving the most interesting stories for last.

Much to Laura's disappointment, though, they weren't. Once they were finished, she removed herself from Carmilla's arms and went to get dressed in her bedroom. She allowed Carmilla to lay around for a little over an hour before she forced her to get up from the couch. There was much grumbling and angry muttering from Carmilla because she had fallen asleep again, but she eventually got up and started getting ready as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this is kind of leaving off in a weird spot, but this chapter was already getting to be way too long and I didn't think it was a good idea to write much more. Oh well, the next one will pick up right around where this ends, so don't worry, you won't miss out on grumpy Carmilla shopping with the ginger twins and Laura. I felt like a Halloween party was absolutely necessary since Halloween is just around the corner! I'm excited! Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this, and I'm super sorry about the delay in updating. I wrote more than half of this last night, but I passed out before I was completely happy with it and I didn't want to short my wonderful readers just because I was tired and feeling rushed. SO! Thank you guys for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
> 
> And as always, don't be afraid to stop by and say hello!  
> micanickel.tumblr.com  
> Come tell me what you're dressing up as for Halloween! If you're dressing up, I mean.
> 
> P.S. I GOT A SNAKE YESTERDAY! So happy! I'm not sure if it's a boy or a girl, though. Who wants to help me pick a name? Something gender neutral since I'm not positive about the sex. 1 2 3 GO!  
> P.P.S. I posted a picture on my tumblr if seeing him/her would help with a name ;)


	12. Halloween

“Carmilla! They're here!” Laura turned from her kitchen window and walked to her front door. She stood by the door tapping her food impatiently.

“Carm!” she called again.

“I'm coming, I'm coming,” Carmilla's voice sounded from the bedroom. A few seconds later she emerged and slouched over to Laura. “I'm still not thrilled about this.”

“I know,” She stood on her tip toes and kissed Carmilla's cheek, “but you have no choice.” 

Laura grabbed her keys off of the table and smiled brightly at Carmilla who groaned and rolled her eyes.

“Let's get this over with, cupcake.”

Two minutes later, they were sitting in the back of LaFontaine's SUV. Laura was bouncing in her seat while she rambled about all of the places they were going to go to while LaF pulled away from the apartment complex.

“I think we should hit up Party City first. You know they're going to have all kinds of things that we're going to need. And what's the name of that one store that pops up in new places every year? Spirit Halloween? Either way, that's a definite yes. They always have massive decorations for your yard and stuff. I think there are a few more places around town too, but we can always go to those if we don't find everything we need at the first two. Also, I think Walmart would be a good place to check. I know it's a terrible store, and we all hate going there, but they have things so cheap!”

Perry was turned around in her seat so she could talk to Laura and LaF had been glancing in their rear view mirror occasionally as Laura spoke. 

“Those stores sound wonderful, Laura,” Perry said. She turned to LaF and asked, “Do you know where they've moved that one store this year?”

“Spirit? Yeah, I think it's down Airport, where the old Staples used to be.” 

Perry reached across the center console and squeezed LaF's arm. “I knew we could count on you, sweetie.”

LaF smiled and glanced up in the mirror again, this time looking over at Carmilla. Laura turned her attention to the brooding girl sitting next to her. 

Carmilla had her forehead pressed against the window and was staring out blankly. Laura watched her eyes flick quickly as they focused on new things that went by the window. She nudged her with her elbow.

“Hey, why are you so quiet?”

Carmilla jumped slightly and turned her head to look over at Laura. “Just enjoying the ride, cutie.” She turned to look back out of the window again, and Laura sighed. She looked back up at the mirror and saw LaF's shoulders pop up in a shrug. 

“So what are you thoughts on doing themed rooms throughout the house?” LaF said breaking the silence.

“What do you mean?” Perry asked.

“I mean like doing the kitchen as a creepy operating room, the living room could be well..haunted..we can make it look like it belongs in an abandoned house. Put spider webs all over the walls and in the corners, put furniture covers on everything.”

“Oh oh! And the dining room could be where the people who live in the house go to eat the _people_ they've killed!”

“Yes, Laura!” LaF sounded really excited at this. “We'll get fake arms and legs. Make fake blood and put it on everything. Because, let's be serious, cannibals are not going to be clean eaters.”

“Fake blood?” Perry said nervously. “Should we really put fake blood on everything? That's going to be awfully hard to clean up. I don't want to have red stains on all of my things.”

“Don't worry, Perr,” LaFontaine said. “We'll get clear tarps to protect everything. The furniture won't be ruined. And besides, if we do get stains on things, you can always clean it with club soda. You love cleaning things with club soda.”

Perry nodded and her eyes narrowed joyfully at the thought. She seemed to be even more excited at the thought of cleaning after the party.

Carmilla hadn't engaged in this part of the conversation either, which completely surprised Laura. She reached over and put her hand on Carmilla's knee. 

“I thought you said Halloween was your favorite holiday, Carm.”

“It is.”

“Well why aren't you helping us decide how we want to decorate the rooms?”

Carmilla turned to look at Laura and raised an eyebrow. Leaning forward, she said, “I'm more of a _hands on_ kind of girl.” She leaned closer, placing a hand on Laura's thigh and trailing it up softly. “I'll be more helpful when my skills are absolutely..necessary.” Laura laughed shakily and felt Carmilla's breath tickle her neck before her lips brushed her skin.

“Alright, you two,” LaF interrupted the moment. “None of that in my backseat. I can't afford to get my entire car shampooed.”

Carmilla laughed and kissed Laura's neck softly again before she leaned back in her seat. Laura felt the skin burning where Carmilla had kissed her, and she wished that they were not with LaF and Perry at this particular moment.

“I think the kitchen sounds great as a sort of operating room, but I think instead of doing all of the rooms in different themes, we should stick with that general theme. Since it's your house LaF, and I'm sure you'll be going as some sort of mad scientist, it would be perfect to do the house as your laboratory.”

“Well I thought of that at first, but I didn't want to make it all about me since it's Perry's house as well.” LaF said. They glanced over at Perry. “You're probably not going to want to go as a mad scientist, too, huh?”

“I haven't decided what I want to dress up as, but a mad scientist is not on my short list of 'maybes'”

LaF looked disappointed. “I thought so.”

“But that doesn't mean I wouldn't be happy with decorating the house as your lab! I think that sounds like a wonderful idea! Much more cohesive.” She turned to looked around her headrest at Carmilla. “I like things that flow together, so thank you for suggesting that.”

Carmilla gave a small smile in return, “You're welcome, Ms. Frizzle.”

“That's it!” Perry yelled. Everyone in the car jumped and looked at her questioningly. “Carmilla! You're a genius!”

“Not that I mind being told that, but why am I genius?”

“Ms. Frizzle!” Perry said as if that would clear up everything.

“Uhm..Perry, are you okay?” Laura asked hesitantly. She glanced over at Carmilla who caught her eye and shook her head slowly. 

“Yeah, Perr. You're kind of scaring me, and that's not something that happens often.” LaF said. 

“I can be Ms. Frizzle for Halloween!” She leaned across the car and pulled LaF into a hug. The car swerved as LaF was jerked to the side, and Perry let go quickly. “Honestly, I was really leaning towards a hippie, but this is perfect! She loves science, so that way I can fit in with the whole theme of our house!”

“That, and you've got the whole 'out of control hair' thing going for you,” Carmilla mumbled under her breath. Laura elbowed her side and frowned. “By which I mean..well done, you.”

Perry beamed at her. “You just gave me the idea! Who knew that one of your ridiculous nicknames would actually come in handy?”

Carmilla furrowed her brow and sighed heavily. “Well I'm glad to be of service,” she said sarcastically. 

They had finally reached Party City, and LaF was pulling carefully into a parking spot between two cars. To say that it was a tight squeeze was a severe understatement. 

Perry's excitement at realizing what she wanted her costume to be diminished quickly. “Are you sure you want to park here, sweetie? These cars are kind of close.”

LaF put the car in park and slowly opened their door. “This spot is fine, Perr. Just be careful.”

Laura opened her door and started to squeeze out between the two cars. She heard Carmilla grumbing behind her and looked over her shoulder. Carmilla's door was shut, and she had slid across the seat behind Laura.

“I swear these idiots in this town got their drivers licenses from Walmart.” 

Laura successfully removed herself from the car, and held the door still so Carmilla could climb out after her. There were a few close calls, but the four had exited the car without denting or dinging the doors of the two surrounding LaF's. 

Laura grabbed Carmilla's hand and skipped to catch up to LaF and Perry. Carmilla stumbled along behind her. They entered the store, and Laura watched Carmilla's eyes light up like a kid in a candy store. 

“Go on, Carm.” She let go of her hand, and Carmilla turned to LaF.

“Get a cart, meet on isle five.” She turned and rushed off, head whipping from side-to-side as she went. 

Laura turned to talk to LaF and noticed that they had disappeared as well. She looked at Perry and shrugged. “I guess it's just the two of us.”

Perry smiled and linked their arms together. “I don't mind.” They started walking down the isle directly in front of them. 

“So how are things going at the school?” Laura asked Perry.

“Oh, they're just fine. I had to finish grading some papers this morning before we could come pick you and Carmilla up. My students are all really enthusiastic, and it's refreshing. They're all so bright.”

Laura nodded as she listened. “That's awesome, Perr.” 

“How about you? Big-shot reporter and all. Are you enjoying your new found fame?”

Laura giggled. “I wouldn't call it _fame_ , exactly.”

“Laura,” Perry was suddenly serious, “you wrote an amazing article, and it was published in the _New York Times_. Now you're being interviewed about _your_ interviews. Next thing you know, you'll be on Good Morning America.”

“Well I wouldn't go that far, but I guess the attention does feel pretty amazing. I thought after two months that it would die down a little, but it really hasn't. Not to mention the fact that I'm getting so many more bylines at the paper now. My life has definitely changed for the better.”

“Not to mention the fact that you and Carmilla are completely head over heals for each other.”

Carmilla and LaFontaine chose this moment to come barreling down the isle pushing a cart in front of them. The cart was filled to the brim with bags of spider webs, black and orange streamers, plastic pumpkins, and rubber severed body parts. 

“Carmilla said she knows how to make the perfect fake blood, so we thought we could just get stuff for that at Walmart when we go there later.”

“They had this really awesome inflatable that would be perfect for the front yard. You two have got to come check it out.” Carmilla took Laura's hand and began to drag her along the isle. Laura had never seen Carmilla this excited. It was a surprising change. 

“Uhm. How much is this inflatable?” Laura heard Perry ask behind her. 

LaF seemed to hesitate with an answer so Carmilla spoke for them. “Don't worry about the cost. It's so perfect, I'm willing to buy it myself.”

“Carmilla, I told you that I really didn't want you to spend any of your own money on this party since it was my idea.”

“Don't start with that, cupcake. I'm not going to let you blow all of the extra money you've been bringing in.”

“But, Carm-”

“Drop it, Laura. I'm helping with the expenses for this party. Yes, you came up with the idea, but I didn't stop you from running with it. And,” she gestured down to the cart she was pushing, “I may have went a little overboard with all of the little things that we're going to need to decorate the house. The least I can do is help you pay for all of it.”

Laura bit her bottom lip, but nodded in agreement. “Okay, but I don't want to just split it down the middle. I still want to pay for the majority of everything.”

“Trust me, there's not going to be any 'splitting it down the middle' when you see how much this inflatable costs.”

“Should I be worried?”

“Sweetheart, look who you're talking to. Of course you should be worried.”

Laura rolled her eyes and continued to walk beside Carmilla through the store. They came to the end of an isle with small inflatables down the sides and boxes stacked on the shelves. 

LaF and Perry came to a stop beside Laura, and Carmilla moved to stand in front of them. LaF stepped forward and took their place at her side. 

“Alright,” LaF began dramatically.

“This is the best decoration we're going to have at the party,” Carmilla continued in the same fashion.

“And you two may think it's a little too much,” LaF said.

“But it's going to be worth it in the end.”

“We've thought of the perfect way to set it up.”

“And you're totally going to love it once we start to paint the picture.”

LaF nodded, “Totally, so here it is!” 

The two stepped aside, sweeping their arms with them as the moved. Once they were out of the way, Laura and Perry looked down to see a picture of a giant inflatable haunted house. The box read that it was over seventeen feet tall, and twelve feet wide. Two gargoyles were pictured outside of the front of the house, and a tree was perched on the side.

Laura looked down at the price, and her jaw dropped. “Carm, this is-”

“Two hundred and fifty dollars?!” Perry shrieked. “Absolutely not! No way! You're not spending that kind of money on a-on something that-on this fake house!”

“Perry, it's not just a _fake house_ ,” LaFontaine said sounding shocked.

“This baby here,” Carmilla said as she picked up the huge box the house was in, “is going to be the entrance to our party. It's got things that hang from the inside, spiders and ghosts and stuff, and it even plays music! It's perfect!”

Laura looked from the box to Carmilla's excited face, and she knew in an instant that she couldn't turn her down. “Okay, let's get it.”

“Yes!” LaF jumped, punching the air. They turned to Carmilla and high fived her. 

“I told them that you would go for it,” Carmilla smiled down at Laura and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. 

“How could I possibly tell you no when this is the most excited that I've ever seen you?” Laura said as she wrapped her arms around Carmilla's waist. She pressed her face into Carmilla's chest, and Carmilla kissed the top of her head.

“There aren't many other things I get this excited about, so you'd better be soaking it all in.” 

Laura smiled up at Carmilla. “Trust me, I am.” She raised herself on her toes and pressed a kiss to Carmilla's lips. 

Carmilla looked over Laura's head to LaF and Perry. “Is there anything else we need to get from this store? Or shall we check out and head to the next one?”

“I think it's time to move on,” LaF answered.

Carmilla nodded and grabbed the cart with the hand that wasn't around Laura's shoulder. Laura kept one arm around Carmilla's waist and held onto the cart with her free hand to help push it down the isle to the front of the store. 

They arrived at the check out counter and shifted the items around in the cart to separate who was paying for what. LaF and Perry bought the majority of the body parts because LaF had picked so many of them, Carmilla paid for the inflatable, and Laura paid for everything else. It ended up being pretty even between LaF, Perry and Laura, but Carmilla had spent so much more than the other three on just one thing.

They loaded up the back of the SUV with their purchases and climbed in. The two cars that they had parked between were gone, so it was much easier to get in the car than it was to get out. 

–

Two hours later, the group exited Walmart pushing two carts that were loaded with even more decorations. Carmilla thought that they had hit the jackpot. Her and LaF were pushing one cart together talking animatedly about the things they had purchased. 

“No, but these fog machines are going to be spectacular,” Carmilla enthused.

“I'm not sure why we had to buy two of them, though,” Perry said when she overhead what the two were discussing.

“Perr, we told you. We need to make sure that all of the rooms are fully covered. If we only put one in the living room, it won't spread enough to the kitchen,” LaF explained.

“We're not going to have any idea what we're walking on. I can already see all of the accidents that are going to happen.” 

“Oh, lighten up, red. Nothing is going to happen.” Carmilla was starting to get annoyed with all of the worrying coming from ginger two. They had spent at least three hours together, and she was beyond ready to get away from her. If she wasn't worried about someone tripping and hurting themselves, she was freaking out about potential messes that were going to be made. Although, ginger one wasn't such bad company, and any day spent with Laura was a good day in her opinion. 

“So we'll just take you two home now, right? Or did you want to come over to start planning how we want to decorate?”

“Home is fine,” Laura answered before Carmilla could even open her mouth. She looked over at her with raised eyebrows. Laura avoided her gaze and helped unload both of the carts into the back of LaF's SUV. 

Once the carts were empty, Carmilla climed into the backseat of the SUV to pull some of the things closer to the front of the car so the back hatch would close. It slammed shut, and Carmilla turned around in her seat with a sigh. Definitely ready to get home.

–

One week later, Carmilla pulled up to LaFontaine and Perry's house alone. Laura had gotten a ride from Danny after she had left the paper earlier that day. Carmilla had just gotten off of work and, much to her disappointment, she had missed the first of the decorating. She climbed out of the car just as the front door opened, and Laura came flying out. Carmilla opened her arms wide and Laura jumped into them. She lifted Laura's feet off of the ground and spun around a few times.

When she set Laura back on her feet, she cupped her face and crashed their lips together. “I missed you, cutie,” she mumbled as they continued to kiss. It had been three days since they had seen each other, which didn't really seem like that much of a long time, but Carmilla had gotten used to waking up to Laura in the morning's and falling asleep next to her at night. It honestly sucked sleeping alone. 

Things had just gotten ridiculously busy at the hospital, and Carmilla had to go in early and work late every day this rotation. It was just easier for her to stay at her apartment, but that meant not being able to see Laura since Laura was working on stories for the paper and needed to be at her apartment with her things. 

“I missed you, too, Carm.” Laura laid her head down on Carmilla's shoulder. She nuzzled her face into Carmilla's neck and inhaled deeply. “I didn't think it was possible to miss someone's scent but,” she inhaled deeply again, “I've really really missed how amazing you smell.”

Carmilla chuckled and kissed Laura's forehead. “I'm not sure how I feel about you telling me that I smell good after working an extremely long shift at the hospital.”

“How long were you there today?” Laura asked pulling back.

“I went in four hours early.”

Laura looked shocked. “You say that like it's nothing. You worked sixteen hours today. Sixteen hours in an emergency room at a very busy hospital.”

Carmilla shrugged like it wasn't a big deal and started walking towards the house. “They called and needed help. Apparently I was the only nurse that answered the phone.” 

“You probably didn't get any sleep since you ended up staying late last night, too.” 

Carmilla shrugged again. “I got enough.” She ran her fingertips down Laura's arm until the reached the palm of her hand. She slid her fingers lightly down Laura's and laced them together. For the first time in three days, she felt like she was finally home. Being with Laura caused her to relax in a way that she never could before. They climbed the front steps and entered the house through the front door. 

Laura must have noticed her relaxed expression because she started to look worried. “You look exhausted, Carmilla. Let's just go get my keys, and you can go to my apartment to wait for me. Go get some sleep. Danny will bring me home.”

“Why is Danny taking you home, L?” LaF asked as they walked by, arms full of random body parts. 

“Carm's going to take my keys and go back to my apartment so she can get some sleep.”

“I am not. I'm here to help,” Carmilla argued. “Besides, I've been thinking about this all day. You wouldn't take my only source of enjoyment for the day away from me, would you?” She stuck her bottom lip out and tears started to form in her eyes.

“What the hell, Carmilla? Are you really making yourself cry right now?” Laura squealed. 

“If it's going to get you to let me stay, yes.”

Laura rolled her eyes and pushed her shoulder against Carmilla's. “Fine, you can stay. But we're not staying too late.”

“Laura, the party is tomorrow,” Perry said as she entered the hallway. “We're going to need you here extremely late to make sure that we've got everything set up. I don't know why we had to wait so long to do all of this.” 

“Because rushing around like chickens with our heads cut off is half the fun!” Danny entered the room with a wide grin on her face. She had fake spider webs in her hands that were trailing down to the floor. “Now where did you say that you wanted this to go?”

“Just around the front door outside. We bought so much of that stuff, and all of the rooms inside are already covered in it. I'm going to be finding spider webs and plastic spiders until next Halloween, I swear.” She shook her head and back out of the hallway.

Carmilla called after her, “Well at least we won't have to put up as many next year, then!”

Laura sighed and looked up at Carmilla. “With as much as she's been freaking out today, I don't think we'll ever be having a party here again.”

“Well I'm here to help now. Where do you need me?”

LaF walked into the hallway again carrying even more fake body parts. Carmilla seriously didn't remember buying that many. “You can start with the fake blood if you want,” they called over their shoulder as they walked.

“Okay,” Carmilla said as she looked around the hallway, “where would I find the stuff for-”

“In the kitchen,” LaF responded as they walked by carrying even freaking _more_ body parts. 

“Laura,” Carmilla whispered, “where the hell did they get all of those? I don't remember buying that many the other day.”

“We didn't,” Laura said simply. “LaFontaine just thought that we needed..uh..more to make this seem realistic. They've just been waiting for you to make your blood concoction so they can all be coated with a more _realistic_ looking blood. But I'm fairly certain they've got all the body parts placed where they want them.”

“I've almost got them all placed,” LaF corrected walking across the hall into the dining room with more arms and legs. And..was that a torso? 

Carmilla shook her head and followed Laura into the kitchen. Perry was pulling out the groceries that they had bought the other day and setting them on the small table that sat against the wall. A plastic tarp was draped over the table. 

“I think this should do it,” Carmilla said as Perry set the last of the things on the table. “I just need a big bowl to mix everything in, and I'll be set.”

Perry bent down to open the cabinet beside the stove and pulled out the biggest mixing bowl she had. “Just try not to make a huge mess, and _please_ wash that out when you're done. I'll die if my white mixing bowls are stained red.”

“No need to be so dramatic, raggedy Anne. I've got this covered.” She sat down at the table and got to work with Laura watching over her shoulder. 

\--

“I probably should be a little grossed out with how real this stuff looks,” Laura said as she scooped some out with a spoon, “but I'm honestly just fascinated. This is so cool, Carm.”

Everyone had gathered in the kitchen to see what Carmilla had created.

“Whoa! This is so cool!” LaF exclaimed upon seeing the fake blood. “I should have stayed in here to watch.”

“Absolutely not,” Perry said, “It was hard enough getting Laura to walk away so she could decorate. I can't imagine trying to get you to leave, and you've been so picky about where you want your toys.”

“They're not toys, Perr,” LaF said as they narrowed their eyes at Perry.

“Whatever, LaFontaine. Let's all get back to work.”

“Mother Perry has spoken!” Carmilla said clapping her hands together. “Back to work team!” LaF and Danny left the room while Laura stayed in the kitchen. Carmilla turned to Perry. “What do you need me to do?”

Perry looked taken aback at the politeness coming from Carmilla. “Uhm..you could set up your house outside on the front lawn?”

“Perfect! I'll get right on that.” She walked out of the kitchen leaving a confused Perry and Laura behind.

“Well that was..”

“Weird.” Laura agreed. “I think the blood got her in a really good mood. Weird.” Laura repeated.

“Well I'm going to help LaFontaine put this..stuff.. all over the house, I guess.” She picked the bowl of blood off of the table and walked into the hallway to find LaF. Laura cleaned the trash off of the table, and began setting up the decorations they had for the kitchen. 

After fifteen minutes of silence from the rest of the house, the front door banged open and Carmilla yelled for everyone to come outside.

Laura stepped onto the front porch to see the massive inflatable towering above her head. To the side, she could see Carmilla and Danny looking up at it proudly. 

“Carm, you did this really quick,” Laura called into the yard. 

Carmilla turned and gave her one of those rare, dazzling smiles. “I couldn't have done it without the help of Clifford, here.” 

Danny glared down at her, but smiled over at Laura. “Walk through it! Tell us what you think!” 

The front door opened behind Laura, and Perry and LaF came walking out. Their hands were red from the fake blood, but it seemed to be stains. 

“We tried to wash it off really quick, but it didn't seem to want to come off.” Perry sounded defeated.

Carmilla laughed loudly in the yard. “I told you it was my special concoction, didn't I? That stuff doesn't come off easily.” Perry groaned and caused Carmilla to laugh even harder. 

“Come on, you two, let's go check out this sweet house.” Laura stepped off of the porch and entered the inflatable. 

The inside wasn't as dark as Laura had thought it would be. There seemed to be lights in the bottom that sent enough light inside. There were spiders hanging from threads all throughout, and ghosts were spread out among them. This eerie music was even quietly playing that made the hairs on the back of Laura's neck stand up. She came out the other side and almost ran into an eager looking Carmilla.

“Well?” Carmilla asked.

“It's amazing, really. I'm so glad we got that thing!”

Perry and LaF both came out behind Laura with their mouths wide open.

“That thing is so cool! I knew it was a good idea!” LaF walked over to Carmilla, and they high-fived. 

“I will admit that it's pretty..neat,” Perry said.

“I think that's the best compliment we're going to get from her,” LaF said quietly to Carmilla.

“I'll take it!” Carmilla laughed. 

“Now can we all please stop getting distracted and finish decorating the inside of the house? The outside looks fantastic, yes, but people are only going to see it for a short period of time whereas they'll be spending the _entire night_ inside.”

Danny, Laura, LaF and Carmilla all looked at each other before nodding. 

“Yeah, Perr. Let's go back inside.” LaF grabbed her hand and pulled her back through the inflatable house towards the front door.

–

“I don't see why you can't just tell me what you're dressing up as, Laura,” Carmilla called through the bedroom door. Laura had locked herself in the room an hour ago so she could get ready. She wanted her costume to be a complete surprise to Carmilla. 

It may be a little cliché and stupid, but Laura was really excited to show Carmilla what she had chosen as her outfit. She had made Perry go shopping with her earlier that week, and when she had found her costume, she literally danced for joy. 

She walked over to the mirror in her bathroom and looked herself over one last time before she left the bedroom. Everything had to look perfect. 

Her white nurse's hat was perched atop her head, slightly off-center. The tight button-up shirt hugged all of her curves in just the right places, and her breasts perked up showing a large amount of cleavage at the top of the shirt. She was a little uncomfortable in the short skirt that had come with the costume, but she hoped that the more she drank, the more comfortable she'd become. She had bought a pair of white pantie hose, and an extremely high pair of white heels to finish off the outfit. Carmilla had left a stethoscope at her apartment a few weeks ago so Laura had that wrapped around her shoulders. 

Laura took a deep breath and walked over to her bedroom door. “Okay, I'm ready to go!” She griped the handle and turned, pulling the door open as she did. 

Carmilla was standing in the middle of her living room with her back turned to the bedroom. As Laura stepped out of her room, Carmilla slowly turned around to face her. 

Laura awkwardly posed herself in what she thought was a sexy manor. She had one hand on her popped out hip. In the other hand, she clutched a clipboard to her chest. Her chest was pushed out, as if she were trying to make her breasts larger than they really were. 

Carmilla stared at her for a second with a confused expression on her face. Her eyebrows were pulled together, and her upper lip was slightly raised. She laughed quietly before speaking. 

“What the hell are you wearing, cupcake?” She bit her lip to try to stifle another laugh. 

Laura's pose slowly lost form as she started to slump. “What? What do you mean? I-I'm a nurse.”

“Nurses don't wear skirts that short, and we sure as hell don't wear shirts with our breasts hanging halfway out the top.” Carmilla was full on laughing now.

“I thought this was-I was trying to look sexy. You don't have to be such an ass about it.” Laura's voice broke as she tried to defend herself to Carmilla. 

“We make fun of those costumes and the girls who wear them, cutie,” Carmilla said. 

“Well that's great, Carmilla. Now you can make fun of your girlfriend with your co-workers.” She felt a tear fall down her face, and she angrily wiped it away. 

Seeing this, Carmilla abruptly stopped laughing. “No, no. Laura, hey, don't cry.” She took a step over to Laura who immediately backed away. 

“Don't.” Laura looked down at the floor, willing herself to not cry anymore. The tears were starting to fall faster now, and she couldn't hold them in. Her feelings were really hurt. 

“Laura, sweetheart, I'm sorry, okay?” Carmilla stepped slowly over to Laura. When Laura didn't move away from her, Carmilla crossed the room quickly. She put her hands on Laura's shoulders, rubbing her uppers arms softly. “Please stop crying, Laura. You know how much I hate when you cry.” Carmilla bowed her head and tried getting Laura to look up at her. 

Laura took a few shuttering breaths and met Carmilla's gaze. “I thought you'd really like it. I was just trying to be sexy for you.”

“You are extremely sexy without even trying, buttercup. You don't need this,” she gestured to Laura's outfit with one of her hands, “costume to be sexy. If you want to be a nurse, you can wear some of my real scrubs. You'll still look sexy, I promise.”

Laura frowned up at her. “Everyone's just going to think that I'm wearing pajamas or something. They're not going to think that I'm actually dressed up.”

“You'll look more dressed up than I do. I'm literally just wearing my normal clothes.”

“Yeah, but you bought those fangs to put in when we actually get to the party.”

“No one is even going to see them unless I open my mou-Laura, we're not doing this right now. Come on, let's go get you changed so we can get to the party.” She grabbed Laura's hand and pulled her into the bedroom.

Laura sat down on the edge of the bed. She watched as Carmilla walked over to her dresser and pulled out a pair of mint scrubs that she had left at Laura's apartment. 

While Laura still felt pretty crappy about how Carmilla reacted, she was starting to feel a little better as she watched Carmilla walk around in her skin tight leather pants. She was wearing a tight, black v-neck, and her usual black leather boots. Her leather jacket was draped across the couch in the living room, waiting to be thrown on as they left the apartment. 

When Laura had questioned what she was dressing up as and Carmilla had responded simply with 'vampire', Laura had argued. Vampires wore capes with high collars, and pointy toed shoes. They didn't just wear black clothes and _leather_. Carmilla said that she was a 'modern vampire'. Laura couldn't really argue with that, and she knew it wasn't going to do much good if she did. Carmilla wasn't going to change her mind about her outfit no matter what Laura said.

So Carmilla was going as a vampire, and Laura had come up with the idea to be a nurse. That plan had gone to hell. Clearly. 

Carmilla set the scrubs down on the bed next to Laura. “I'm going to go back out here and wait for you, okay?” She spoke gently as if she were afraid of upsetting Laura again.

Laura nodded and kicked off her heels. Carmilla left the room, pulling the door shut as she went. Laura fumbled with the buttons on her shirt and pulled it off of her shoulders. It was honestly a relief to take it off. The shirt was extremely tight, and it was kind of hard to breathe in. She took the hat off of her head, and pulled on Carmilla's scrub top. The stocking and skirt came off easier than the shirt, and Laura stumbled as she stepped into Carmilla's pants. She figured she could just wear her black Nikes instead of the heels now, so she took some socks from the top drawer of her dresser. 

When Laura walked out of her bedroom door, she pulled her hair out of the tight bun she had put it in. As her hair fell onto her shoulders, Laura heard Carmilla gasp quietly.

“Now that,” Laura's eyes snapped to Carmilla who was slowly walking over to her, swaying her hips as she walked, “is extremely sexy.” Carmilla put her hands into Laura's hair and pulled her closer. 

She kissed Laura slowly at first. Their lips were pressed together softly until Laura, eager to take the kiss further, ran her tongue along Carmilla's bottom lip. Carmilla groaned and took a few quick steps forward causing Laura to stumble backwards. Her back hit the wall, and Carmilla pushed her hips roughly against Laura's. Carmilla took Laura's hands in her own and brought them up to her chest whispering a soft, “please,” against Laura's mouth.

Laura took full advantage and massaged Carmilla's breasts gently. Carmilla continued to grind her hips into Laura's while her lips trailed down Laura's neck, leaving wet kisses as she went. She reached Laura's collar bone and grazed her teeth along the bone earning a moan from Laura. 

Carmilla's hands had found Laura's hips and had slid under the scrub top. One was at the small of her back, while the other hand ran across Laura's stomach from one hip bone to the other, causing Laura's stomach to squirm underneath the light touches.

Laura's head was thrown back against the wall, and she was breathing heavily. “Carm-Carmilla,” she breathed out.

Carmilla hummed in response against her neck which caused goose bumps to erupt down her arms.

“Carmilla, the party. Late. We need to.” She was having a lot of trouble forming complete sentences with Carmilla's tongue doing that to her neck. 

Carmilla lifted her head from Laura's neck and sucked Laura's bottom lip into her mouth. Laura felt her tongue flicking across her lip, and she moaned. Carmilla chuckled and took her lip in between her teeth, tugging softly. Laura moaned again and fisted her hands into Carmilla's hair, pressing their heads together so Carmilla was forced to properly kiss her. 

Carmilla let Laura kiss her roughly for a few minutes before she pulled back. Laura opened her eyes and glared over at her. 

“What?” Carmilla asked innocently.

“Why did you stop?” 

“I thought you said we had to leave or we were going to be late.” Carmilla said.

“Well, yeah, but I'm actually thinking we should skip the party now.” Laura grabbed the front of Carmilla's shirt and pulled her closer. She tried to kiss her again, but Carmilla turned her head at last minute causing Laura to press a messy kiss to her cheek.

Carmilla backed away from Laura, not breaking eye contact. “We can't skip the party. You and I both spent entirely way too much money to miss this, so we're going. But,” she stopped speaking as she shrugged on her leather jacket, “my apartment is right around the corner from LaF and Perry's so as soon as things start to die down, we can go over and finish where we're leaving off.”

Laura groaned but had to agree with Carmilla. There was no way they could miss the party. Maybe they could get away with being a little late, but Perry had specifically asked them to show up a little early to help with the finishing touches. 

“Fine. Let's hurry up and get there so we can hurry up and leave.” Laura stomped over to the door and grabbed her keys. She flung open the door and rushed out of the apartment. Carmilla followed behind her laughing. 

–

The party was amazing. Everyone seemed to love how the house looked, and the inflatable haunted house was definitely the main attraction. Perry wasn't too happy about that because most people were spending their time running through it instead of hanging out inside. 

Laura was sitting on the couch while she waited for Carmilla to return with the punch she had promised. She had been gone for a little while, though, so Laura figured that someone had distracted her along the way. 

Danny came through the archway into the living room. She spotted Laura sitting alone on the couch and walked over, flopping down beside her. 

“Hey, Hollis. Where's Mistress of the Snark?”

“She's..actually I'm not entirely sure. She disappeared to the kitchen about ten minutes ago and hasn't returned since.”

As if in response, there was loud cheering from the dining room. Kirsch's voice boomed loudly about the yelling. “Carm-sexy! I can't believe you just did that!”

The cheering continued and Carmilla soon stumbled into the living room from the hallway. A grin was plastered on her face, and she looked extremely pleased with herself. She stood up straight and saw Laura sitting on the couch with Danny. 

“Xena,” she said.

“Fang face,” Danny responded. She had started calling Carmilla that the second they walked into the door and Carmilla announced what her costume was before anyone could ask.

They both glared at each other before smiling. Things had been a lot better between the two of them since they had gotten the inflatable blown up so quickly the day before. 

“What was everyone cheering about?” Danny asked curiously.

“I was roped into playing beer pong with the mad scientist, and I may have just gotten a kill cup. The littlest dude bro needs to remember to cover his cups when he's drinking from them. Such an easy target.” She seemed to say the last part to herself. 

“I can't believe he thought that coming in just a speedo was a good enough costume,” Laura said laughing. 

Danny rolled her eyes. “He claims that he's Michael Phelps.”

“So that's who he's supposed to be,” Carmilla mumbled. “He tried telling me earlier, but he's so drunk, I couldn't really understand him.”

“He doesn't seem like he's the only one that's drunk,” Laura said playfully.

Carmilla pouted, “I only had a few drinks while I was in the other room.”

“And you never brought me my punch!” Carmilla pouted even more, and Laura giggled to herself. She was enjoying messing with drunk Carmilla. 

“I can go get it now.” Carmilla turned to walk out of the room, and Laura jumped up from the couch to walk with her.

“We can go together, that way you don't distracted again.” She turned to look over at Danny. “Are you going to come with us? I'm sure we'll end up in the dining room along with everyone else.”

“Sure.” Danny stood from the couch and the three walked out of the room into the hallway. Danny left them as they passed the doorway to the dining room. 

Carmilla stumbled into the kitchen. “I think Perry was right, this fog is hazardous.” 

Laura looked over at Carmilla. “You're worried about someone getting hurt in this thin layer of fog?”

Carmilla turned to Laura. Her eyes were opened wide. “Laura, you think this is a _thin_ layer? There's so much fog. I can't even see my shoes.” Laura heart Carmilla's feet tapping on the floor. “See? Can't see 'em.” 

“You're pretty cute when you're drunk, you know that?”

Carmilla grinned lazily at Laura. “I told you I wasn't drunk, I only had a few drinks.”

“Your actions speak louder than words, Carm. I think I'll probably be driving us to your apartment.” She had been to Carmilla's apartment a few times since they had met, so she was hoping she could navigate there on her own. 

“LaFontaine said that they have a spare room we can stay in if we both get too drunk.”

“I know, Carm. I was there when they told you that, but considering the fact that we need to finish what we started earlier, I'd much rather go somewhere we can be alone. Like. Completely alone.” 

Carmilla seemed to sober up a little at her words. “Well we can leave now if you want. No one would notice us missing. Especially with all of this _fog_.”

Laura laughed and laced her fingers with Carmilla's. She leaned over to whisper in her ear. “Let's stay just a little bit longer, and then I promise I will make this the best night of your life.”

“You seem extremely confident in your abilities, cupcake.”

Laura shrugged. “I guess you'll have to wait and find out if I have good enough reason to be.” She winked at Carmilla and led her into the dining room where another game of beer pong was well under way.

–

The elevator doors dinged open and Laura fell backwards out of them. Carmilla had pressed her firmly against them as soon as they had closed five floors below. They had spent the ride up wrapped in each other. Carmilla's had even started to untie the scrub pants that Laura was wearing. 

They had left the party a half hour previously and walked the four blocks to Carmilla's apartment. Perry had refused to let them drive when they had both been drinking, even though Laura insisted that she was sober enough to drive.

According to Perry, though, “ _Sober enough_ isn't good enough.”

So Laura had borrowed one of LaF's jackets, and they had walked out the door. The neighborhood was quiet along the way, and Laura had to struggle to keep Carmilla walking in the right direction. She kept stopping to kiss Laura every ten steps or so, and when Laura would break away, Carmilla would head in the direction of LaF and Perry's house. 

They kissed their way down the hall, losing their footing a few times causing their bodies to slam against the walls at their sides. By the time the reached Carmilla's door, they were both giggling too hard to continue kissing. 

Laura stood in front of Carmilla with her back against the door. She watched Carmilla take a deep calming breath and dig her keys out of her jacket pocket. 

Carmilla glanced up at Laura. “Uhm..” If Laura hadn't been drinking, she would swear that Carmilla was nervous, “Are you-are you sure you want to do this? It's not too soon for you or anything? I don't want you to think that I'm rushing anything.”

Laura grabbed the collar of Carmilla's jacket and kissed her roughly. “I've honestly never wanted anything more in my life.”

Carmilla smirked at Laura, all traces of the nervousness she had just shown gone. “Alright, cupcake. It's going to be a long night.”

Laura swallowed hard and pulled Carmilla in for another kiss. She heard the key slide into the door knob and felt Carmilla push the door open behind her. An arm wrapped around her waist as they stumbled into the apartment. Carmilla kicked the door closed as they entered, not willing to break the kiss. Laura pushed her jacket off of her shoulders, and as it fell to the floor, a throat cleared behind them. They both jerked their heads around to look at the couch. 

Perched on the edge, with her hands folded calmly in her lap, was a gorgeous blonde bombshell. She was looking at the two girls with a bored expression on her face. Laura saw a newspaper opened in front of her, and noticed that it was a copy of the New York Times. The paper was opened to an article, her article, in fact, and there was a picture of her smiling at the camera. Smaller pictures of every person she had interviewed surrounded her own, Carmilla in her scrubs being one of them.

The woman sighed and stood from the couch. Laura looked over at Carmilla who looked like she had just seen a ghost. Her mouth was open, and she was as white as a sheet. 

“Carmilla,” the woman said taking a step over to her. 

Carmilla didn't move, and Laura started to get worried. “Carm, what's going on? Who is she?”

Carmilla's eyes flickered over to hers quickly. Her mouth closed and opened again as she tried to respond.

The woman spoke for her after a moment of silence, “I'm her girlfriend. Who the hell are you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry. 
> 
> Come say hello if you still love me.  
> micanickel.tumblr.com


	13. Aftermath

Laura stared at the woman with her mouth open. She glanced over at Carmilla, hoping for a response. Something, _anything_ to help her understand what was going on. But Carmilla wasn't moving. Her eyes were trained on a spot somewhere above the blonde's head, unblinking. 

“G-girlfriend?” Laura stuttered out. “You're her-”

“Girlfriend, yes,” the blonde snapped. “And now that you're not attached to Carmilla's face, I recognize you.” She glanced down at the newspaper that sat upon the table. “You're the reporter, Laura Hollis. Is that how you got this pathetic girl to write about you, Carmilla? You slept with her?”

Carmilla's eyes locked onto the blonde's. “That's not what this is, Elsie.”

“Well enlighten me, then, darling.”

Laura watched Carmilla shake her head slowly. She offered up no other explanation. She slowly looked over at Laura. “Cupcake, I-”

The use of the familiar, playful nickname made Laura's blood boil. “Don't,” she said. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and her head was spinning. Whether it was from the alcohol she had consumed or everything that was happening was unclear, but she knew that she needed to get out of that apartment. “I'm leaving.”

Elsie scoffed, “That's probably for the best.”

Laura stared at Carmilla a moment longer. She could feel tears beginning to form in her eyes, and there was no way in hell or Hogwarts that she was going to let this woman, Elsie, see her cry. She turned towards the door and moments too late, Carmilla moved.

“Laura, don't go.” Carmilla reached out to grab her arm, and Laura snatched it out of her grasp. She ripped the door open and walked out into the hallway. Footsteps followed behind her, but she continued towards the elevator, praying that it hadn't left the floor since they had gotten off.

“Laura, I can explain.” Carmilla grabbed her arm from behind to stop her from walking just as she reached the elevators.

Laura whipped around to face her. “Explain what, Carmilla? The fact that you-the fact that you have a _girlfriend_ , and you've just been playing with me this entire time?”

“Elsie isn't my girlfriend,” Carmilla said quickly.

“Well she sure as hell doesn't seem to think that.”

“I-I don't know what she thinks,” Carmilla seemed to mutter to herself.

“Why haven't you told me about her? Did it not seem important to mention that you were seeing someone else this entire time? It's been two and a half fucking months! You've been lying to me! For two. Months. And I'm not even including the time where we danced around our feelings for each other. Or..my feelings for you since it doesn't appear that you were actually genuine with yours.” Unable to hold back any longer, tears started pouring down Laura's face, and she turned her back to Carmilla. The elevator doors opened, and she stepped in. 

“I haven't been lying, Laura. Elsie just hasn't come up!” Carmilla defended.

“A lie of omission is still a lie, Carmilla.”

“Laura, please stay. Give me a chance to explain,” Carmilla pleaded. “This really isn't what it looks like.” She took a hesitant step closer to the elevator, and Laura backed away against the far wall.

“Ha! As if I haven't heard that awesome line before. Go away, Carmilla. We're done.” The elevators doors began to close giving Laura enough time to see Carmilla's broken expression. Once she was alone, she fell against the back wall, sobs tearing at her throat.

 _“So this is what it feels like to have your heart broken,”_ she thought bitterly. 

–

Carmilla stared at the elevators doors after they had closed feeling completely dumbfounded. She punched the gleaming metal in front of her face.

“Dammit!” What the hell just happened? She was having trouble breathing. Were her lungs collapsing? Why was the room spinning when everything had just been perfectly still? She let her head fall forward against the doors with a thud. 

“No. No no no no.” She tried to catch her breath, but it was coming out in quick gasps. Her vision was going black at the edges, and she felt like her stomach was in her throat. She turned so her back was against the cool metal and slid down until she was in a seated position. Her head fell between her knees as she tried to calm herself down. 

After a minute of deep breathing, she rose to her feet. Her hands were still shaking, and her knees were wobbly, but she felt calmer. She walked to her apartment door and opened it, ready to face the woman that still sat inside. 

–

Laura stumbled blindly down the sidewalk. Tears blurred her vision, and she wasn't even sure she was going in the right direction. She tried not to think about how Carmilla had pushed her up against that exact tree just a short time ago and kissed her until her head spun. Now her head was spinning for an entirely different reason. 

She knew deep down that she should probably be at least a little nervous about walking down an unfamiliar street alone so late at night, but that thought was the furthest thing from her mind. All she could picture was Carmilla cuddling with Bagheera. Carmilla mocking whatever mindless sitcom they had playing on the TV. Carmilla sleeping soundly, hair flying in all directions on the yellow pillow in Laura's lap. Carmilla's rustic and almost woodsy scent, and how it seemed to consume Laura anytime she was near. Carmilla's childlike attitude towards decorating for Halloween. Carmilla's excitement at how far Laura's article was going. Carmilla pushing her against the wall before they left to go to the party. Carmilla kissing her against the elevator doors. Carmilla moaning into her mouth when they fell into her apartment. Carmilla's blank expression while Elsie spoke. Carmilla's broken expression as the elevator doors closed on her. Carmilla, Carmilla, Carmilla. Everything was Carmilla, and Laura's heart was breaking even further. 

Her knees gave out from under her and crashed into the cold pavement at her feet. She rocked forward with her head in her hands, gripping her hair between her fingers tightly. Sobs continued to wrack her body. She lost track of time, letting the tears flow openly down her face. 

A door opened somewhere near her, and a voice called out into the night, “Drive safe, Danny! Let us know when you get-what the hell?”

“Who is that?”

“Is that-”

“Laura?!”

Laura didn't look up at the sound of her name, but she heard multiple people running towards her hunched over body.

“Laura? What's going on?” She recognized that voice, but didn't have the strength in her to see who it belonged to.

“Sweetie? Are you okay? Where's Carmilla?” Carmilla's hand in hers, thumb grazing the back of her hand. Carmilla laughing, held tilted back, eyes closed, and mouth open, pure joy etched on every inch of her face. Carmilla's soft lips on hers.

“Here, I've got her.” Strong and steady arms wrapped around her shoulders and under her legs. She felt herself being lifted into the air. Vibrant red hair obscured her vision, and she let her head fall onto Danny's shoulder. 

–

“What are you doing here, Elsie?” Carmilla asked as soon as she entered her apartment.

“I needed to see you. One of my coworkers is subscribed to the Times, and she showed me this article. I've been holding on to it, reading it almost every day.”

Carmilla ran a hand through her hair and sighed. “It's been six months. Six months of nothing from you, and now this.” She threw her arms out at her sides.

“I wasn't sure how to approach you. Everything ended so suddenly, and you stopped responding to me.” Elsie shrugged.

“Did you ever stop to think that maybe the reason I wasn't responding to you was because I didn't _want_ to?”

“That thought had crossed my mind, and I tried to let it go. After you said you wanted out, I tried so hard, you have to believe me, but I just couldn't. I've missed you.” Elsie took a hesitant step forward. “Haven't you missed me, Carmilla?”

“You can't just break into my apartment, interrupting my night with my _girlfriend_ and ask me if I've missed you!” Carmilla growled.

Elsie took in a shuttering breath. “So she wasn't just some fling then?”

“No, Elsie. She wasn't. I lo-I really care about her, and now everything is just fucked.”

“Maybe that means there's hope for us. Maybe that means we're supposed to be more.”

Carmilla threw her a disgusted look. “You left, Elsie. You took the job that was thirty-six hours away. I tried to make things work after you had gone, but you gave me nothing in return besides missed phone calls and unanswered pleas for communication.”

“You could have come with me. I asked, hell, I begged for you to come with me.”

“Oh, screaming at me from across the room that I could come _if I wanted_ while we were arguing was definitely a sure fire way to get me to pack up my entire life and move away with you.” Carmilla rolled her eyes. “You knew what you were doing. You wanted to be free to do whatever the hell you wanted when you left. You didn't want to be tied down, and I get that, I really do. It took me a while, and it hurt like hell once I had figured it all out, but I understand. We dated all through college so neither one of us got to have the usual experience of jumping from girl to girl, bed to bed. It's only human to want to be able to experience the things you've missed out on. I moved on from the pain, from you.”

Elsie's eyes welled up with tears. “I don't think you've moved on, Carmilla.”

“Dammit, Elsie! You just had a front row seat to my tongue shoved into another girl's mouth! If you hadn't been here, she'd be naked underneath me right now! How is that not moving on?” 

“That's just you trying to forget about me,” Elsie mumbled, but she seemed unsure of herself.

Carmilla's expression soften, and she walked to stand in front of Elsie. “It's not. I'm really sorry that this is hurting you, that I'm hurting you, but it's not just some act. I'm really happy with her.”

Elsie nodded, tears slowly tipping from her eyes. Carmilla pulled her into a tight hug, trying to give her some sort of comfort. “I wish there was more that I could say, but I did my grieving after we ended everything. You need to do the same. Give it some time, things will get easier.”

Elsie gripped the back of Carmilla's jacket, sniffling into her shoulder. She pulled back after a moment and laughed softly. “I feel like an idiot. I was just sitting at my apartment yesterday, and I couldn't stop thinking about you and how much you love this stupid holiday. So then I started thinking about you spending it all alone, and I just got so sad for you. And then I guess it sort of turned into being sad about myself. You're right, though. I haven't given myself time to grieve over you, over us.” She released Carmilla's jacket and took a step backwards.

“You're going to be okay, Elsie,” Carmilla said.

“I will, I know. I just wish I had started this whole process six months ago. Maybe I'd be as happy as you seem to be now.”

Carmilla nodded knowingly, “You'll get there. Just stay positive.”

Elsie took a deep breath and walked to the door. She reached into her front pocket and pulled out a key. “Here, I should probably give this back to you. Just in case I get another frantic desire to see you and show up at your apartment unannounced, effectively ruining your night.”

Carmilla stepped forward and Elsie dropped the key into her open palm. “Thanks, and hey, if you need to talk or whatever, I'm always here for you.”

“I know, Carmilla, thank you. But I think I need to work on this by myself. Talking to you all of the time wouldn't exactly help me move on, would it?”

“No, I guess you're right about that,” Carmilla chuckled.

Elsie leaned forward and kissed Carmilla softly on her cheek. She jumped backwards as if she had been electrocuted. “Sorry about that,” she said quickly. “Old habits die hard, and all.”

Carmilla smiled softly, “I didn't mind that, Els.”

“Alright,” Elsie turned to the door and pulled it open. She looked over her shoulder at Carmilla. “I'll be seeing you around.”

“See you.” Carmilla raised her hand and gave a small wave. Elsie pulled the door shut behind her, and as soon as it clicked shut, the crushing reality of what just transpired in the past hour hit Carmilla full force. She stumbled under the weight of her emotions, brow furrowing, and tears stinging the back of her eyes. 

_Laura._

She really needed to talk to Laura. 

She pulled her phone out from her back pocket and dialed the number she had committed to memory. The phone rang a few times before it clicked over to voice mail. She hung up, and her thumb immediately hit redial. She wasn't concerned with how desperate this seemed, because she was desperate. 

So desperate, in fact, that she called about ten more times before finally giving up. She opened the message thread between her and Laura, typing out a few quick and equally desperate text messages. Each one pleading for Laura to call her back, Laura to talk to her, Laura to give her a chance to explain herself. This was all just one big, giant, misunderstanding, and she had to fix it. 

She glanced at the time on her phone and was almost shocked to see that it was nearing four in the morning. They had left the party somewhere around two. Where had the time gone? She entered her bedroom and fell on top of her bed without undressing. She pulled her pillow under her head. Laura's scent hit her like a brick wall, and she fought the tears that immediately pooled in her eyes. 

This had been the pillow that Laura slept on the one time she had actually stayed at her apartment. She had packed her perfume into her overnight bag, and when she left the following morning, she sprayed it all over the pillow. 

“I just want to make sure that you're thinking about me even when we're not together, and maybe this will give you a few dreams about me as well,” she had said smiling mischievously. 

“I don't think you have to worry about that, cupcake. I pretty much think about you all the damn time.” Carmilla had pulled her into a deep kiss causing Laura to be a half hour late to her meeting at Silas Daily. She hadn't wanted to mention that Laura's face had been invading her dreams since the night they had met, and she wondered if she had always been there. A blurry face in the background that she couldn't really make out. Laura was most definitely the girl of her dreams. 

Carmilla laid in bed, tearing spilling onto the pillow beneath her head for an undetermined amount of time before exhaustion took over, and her eyelids drooped closed. 

–

“Well obviously we don't know what happened. She hasn't said anything to us.”

“We need to get her to tell us. There's got to be something we can do.”

“No, she needs to rest. We shouldn't bother her.”

“She's not resting. She's just been laying there with her eyes open.”

“She'll fall asleep eventually. Don't bother her.”

“Perry, we need to-”

“No, LaFontaine. Leave her alone.”

Voices spoke in hushed whispers behind her, but Laura didn't have the strength to roll over to see who exactly they belonged to. She knew LaF and Perry were in the room, and she kind of thought the third voice was Danny's but she wasn't exactly sure. Danny carried her in hours ago. She should have left by now.

She desperately wanted to sleep if only to relieve some of the heartache she was feeling in her chest, but every time she closed her eyes, Carmilla's face would bloom in her eyelids and everything hurt so much more. Her eyes remained open, gaze unwavering from the floral pattern spattered across the couch in front of her. Her body ached, and she wanted to stretch her legs out, but that required energy which she was lacking severely in right now. 

“This is ridiculous. I can't just sit here and watch her be like this.” Danny. It was definitely Danny. Only her voice could convey so much concern for Laura.

“I'm going to make some breakfast, maybe that will get her to move,” LaF whispered.

“I'll come with you.” Footsteps came closer to Laura's back, and she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Sweetie, would you like some hot chocolate?” Laura didn't move to indicate whether she wanted any or not. She only clenched her fists into tighter balls, wanting to be left alone. 

They had relentlessly questioned her once they brought her inside, only giving up when she had burst into tears again when Danny had mentioned Carmilla for the umpteenth time. Her silence seemed to be preferred over hysterical sobbing. 

Perry sighed and removed her hand from Laura's back. “Come on, Danny. Let's give her some space.” Three pairs of footsteps retreated from the living room, and Laura let out a quiet sigh. 

After a few minutes of being left alone, however, Laura quickly realized that this was the exact opposite of what she really wanted. The silence was absolutely deafening, and her mind was whirling. This wasn't like her. She was normally so mature when it came to break ups. None of them had ever affected her the way this was. She knew this was different, though. _Carmilla_ had been different. She had never felt this way about any girl before, never fallen so quickly. Carmilla was her best friend. 

A new wave of tears over took her, and she grit her teeth to stop the sobs from escaping past her lips. She screwed up her face and cried silently on the couch, hoping that no one would come into the living room and see her shoulders shaking.

–

“Laur? You feeling up to eating?” Perry rubbed small circles on Laura's back.

Laura opened her eyes groggily. She had finally fallen into a restless sleep after crying to herself earlier. Her head was pounding, her eyes were burning, and her face felt stiff.

“What time is it, Perr?” she asked, rolling onto her back and stretching out her cramped limbs.

“It's almost noon,” Perry responded. “We noticed that you had finally fallen asleep, and we didn't want to wake you.” 

Laura nodded and sat up on the couch. Her and Perry were the only ones in the living room, but she could hear muffled voices coming from the kitchen. 

“I'm sorry for just showing up here sort of..catatonic last night. I didn't mean to scare anyone.”

“It's alright, Laura. We're not going to pressure you into telling us what happened, but if you want to talk about it, we're here to listen.” She turned her back to Laura and walked in the direction of the kitchen.

Laura ran a hand through her hair, fingers getting caught in the knots as she did. Sighing, she stood from the couch and followed Perry's retreating back.

In the kitchen, LaF and Danny were sitting at the small table that was pushed against the wall. The kitchen still showed signs of the Halloween party from the previous night, but it seemed that most of the decorations had been taken down already. Laura felt a surge of guilt because she hadn't been helping clean up like she had promised. She took a seat beside LaF, and Perry set a plate in front of her. 

Perry knew just what comfort food she loved. Grilled cheese with tomato soup. She took her first bite, and quickly realized just how hungry she was. She devoured her first sandwich, and Perry replaced it with another soon after she took her last bite. When she was finished, and her plate had been cleared, she folded her hands on the table in front of her. 

“So,” she began, “Carmilla has a girlfriend.”

“Well of course she does, Laur,” LaF said sounding confused, “we're kind of all looking at her.”

“No, I mean. She's got another girlfriend. Someone else. She-she showed up at Carmilla's apartment last night.”

“What? What do you mean?” Perry took the seat next to Laura, and her hand reached forward to cover Laura's on the table.

“We got to her apartment last night, and she was there. Her name's Elsie, I think? She told me she was Carm's girlfriend, and Carmilla didn't deny it. Not at first, at least. And even when she did, she just kept saying that she could explain.” Laura felt a sudden rush of anger as she spoke. “I can't believe her. She's never mentioned this woman to me at all, and I was just completely blind-sided. I felt like an idiot, staring at this woman and waiting for Carmilla to defend our relationship.”

“You should talk to her, L. Carmilla doesn't seem like the type of person that would cheat. It's out of character.”

“That could be true, but maybe not. Maybe she's just..a really good liar or something.” Even as she said it, she knew it wasn't true. Cheating was not something Carmilla would do, Laura knew that without a doubt, but she was still hurt from the lies. Carmilla had decided not to tell Laura about Elsie. She kept their entire relationship from Laura. She thought that they had been close, that they told each other everything.

“I'll go over there and talk to her myself,” Danny said as she cracked her knuckles. 

“Danny, no. Violence isn't always the answer.” Perry said.

“Who said anything about violence?” Danny said innocently. “I was hoping we could chat over a nice cup of tea.”

Perry shook her head and turned her attention back to Laura. “LaF's right, you really should give her a chance to explain herself.”

Laura sighed, “No, I need to-I need to get over this. I feel like an idiot. There's an entire part of Carmilla's life that I know nothing about because she chose not to tell me. How are we supposed to have a relationship if we're not willing to open up to each other about things?”

“That's true, but you don't know all of the circumstances. Maybe she just wasn't ready to open up about it yet.” LaF was defending Carmilla. Laura knew it was because the two of them had gotten along so well.

“I don't know. I just need to do some serious thinking,” Laura pushed herself back from the table. “Do you mind if I use your shower?”

“No, that's fine sweetie. Go right ahead.”

“I'm just going to run out to Carm's car and grab my things. We kind of forgot to get my bag when we left last night.” 

Laura ran out of the kitchen and out of the house, jogging down the steps to Carmilla's car. She didn't remember them locking it last night when they had arrived at the party, so she hoped the doors were still unlocked. She reached out to grab the handle, and it pulled open. She breathed a sigh of relief and ducked into the backseat to get her things. 

–

Carmilla tossed and turned in her bed. Her dreams were filled with Laura leaving, a different way with each dream that plagued her sleep. She groaned and threw the covers off of her, giving up on getting anymore sleep. She picked up her from from her bedside table, and unlocked the screen. She didn't have any missed calls or unread messages which meant that Laura was still not talking to her. 

She dropped her phone on her chest and fought the sob that threatened to jump from her mouth. She sat up, rubbed the corners of her eyes and stretched. Her car was still over at LaFontaine and Perry's house so she needed to walk over there at some point to get it. She was sure that Laura had walked there last night, and the slight possibility that she would see her had Carmilla's heart racing in her chest. She wasn't even sure that Laura was still going to be at their house. It was just past noon, and Laura was typically an early riser. She might have had one of the ginger twins take her home earlier that morning.

Carmilla jumped out of bed, eager to get to their house, and hoping that Laura would still be there. She took a quick shower, dressed in faded black jeans and her favorite red flannel, and made the journey to LaF and Perry's. 

When she arrived outside of the house, she noticed that the Halloween decorations had been removed from the porch and front yard. She tried not to feel guilty that she hadn't been over to help, but she swallowed the feeling and walked to her car. She pulled the door open and climbed inside, when she started her ignition, she thought she saw the curtains move that covered the living room window. They swayed back and forth as she stared at the window, hand hovering over the gear shift.

In a split second, she made the decision to turn her car off and walk to the front door. She raised her hand in a fist to knock, inches from the wood of the door, hesitating. 

_“Get it together, Karnstein.”_ she thought to herself, and rapped on the door a few times. She waited, shifting her weight from one foot to the other nervously. 

After what felt like an eternity, the door slowly creaked open, and LaFontaine stood in the doorway. Their expression was unreadable.

“Uhm..hi,” Carmilla began, unsure what she wanted to say, “is Laura-”

“She doesn't want to talk to you, Carmilla,” LaFontaine cut her off. 

“So she is here, then?” 

LaF nodded in response but didn't say anything else. 

“Okay, well that's-that's good. I was worried. It was so late when she left last night, and I haven't heard from her so I just wanted to-wanted to be sure that she had made it here safely.” Her throat felt like it was closing and those damn tears were burning her eyes again. 

LaF's expression dropped, and they quickly stepped out onto the porch with Carmilla, pulling the door closed behind them. They walked over to the porch steps and sat down, patting the spot beside them for Carmilla to sit.

Once Carmilla was seated beside them, LaF turned to face her. “I'm not going to ask you to tell me your side or anything. I'm sure there's more to this than what Laura thinks, but she needs space.”

Carmilla nodded, swallowing thickly. Tears fell from her eyes, and she did nothing to stop them. “I feel like such an idiot. I should have told her about my history with Elsie. I know it sounds stupid to say it, but it just never came up. I wasn't trying to hide it from her, I'm just not the type to talk about my past relationships. Why bother if it's over, right?”

“Laura just feels a little...betrayed, and I think she's just more embarrassed than anything else.”

“I didn't mean to hurt her, LaF. You have to believe me.”

“I do believe you, Carmilla. If I didn't, I wouldn't be out here talking to you right now. Danny wanted to be the one to answer the door, but I wouldn't let her.”

Carmilla felt a surge of jealousy at the thought of Danny being inside with Laura, comforting her. “I need to talk to her, explain everything that happened.”

“She doesn't want to talk to you. That was literally the only thing she kept saying last night, when her phone started ringing and you were calling her. She just sat on the couch, mumbling to herself that she didn't want to talk to you. You have to respect her wishes about that.”

“I will, I'm not going to try to force myself on her. It's just that,” Carmilla's throat was definitely closing now, “how am I supposed to not talk to someone that I've talked to every day?” Her voice cracked, and she leaned forward, placing her head between her knees to try to calm her breathing. 

LaF put a comforting hand on her back. “It'll be okay, just give it some time. I have a feeling she'll come around.”

“Dammit, I just miss her so much already, and it hasn't even been twelve hours.” 

LaF wrapped an arm around Carmilla's shoulders and pulled her into their side. “It's going to be hell, but you have to give her time to miss you, too. No phone calls, no text messages. She's angry and hurt right now. Those are the only emotions she can really focus on. Give her time to feel more.” 

“This sucks. This is the absolute worst I have ever felt in my life.” Carmilla mumbled, head still between her knees. 

“Just take it one day at a time. Things will get easier.” 

Carmilla sat up straight and looked over at LaF. “Thank you, for coming out here and talking to me. For not just immediately slamming the door in my face.”

LaF shrugged. “Like I said, I know there's more to the story. You wouldn't just hurt Laura for no reason. I may not know that much about you, but I know you wouldn't do that.”

Carmilla stood from the porch with LaF following suit. “I should probably get out of here. I don't want to make her uncomfortable or anything.” 

“Yeah, I'll see you around Carmilla.”

Carmilla turned to walk down the porch steps and across the yard. When she made it to the drivers' side, she glanced back up at the house. The curtains at the living room window were parted slightly, and she thought she saw familiar honey blonde hair. The hand pulling the curtains apart pulled back, and the glimpse of hair Carmilla thought she saw disappeared. She stared at the window a moment longer, hoping that the curtains would move one more time. When they didn't, she opened the car door and lowered herself inside. She started the ignition and reversed out of the driveway, heading back towards her lonely apartment, and wishing that she was going back to the comfort of Laura's arms.

–

The following week proved to be hell for Laura. Things at the paper were getting ridiculously busy with the holidays fast approaching. She was just barely making her deadlines on time, and the mountain of paperwork at her desk was growing steadily higher. 

More often than not, she found herself opening her thread with Carmilla and typing out an aggravated message about her day before she remembered that she wasn't speaking to her. She'd erase the message and toss her phone back onto her desk, angrier and more frustrated than she had been before she had almost sent the message. 

She knew that she should talk to Carmilla. She really did, but she was still so embarrassed about the whole situation. Plus, everything just hurt. After having your heartbroken, it was kind of hard to just forget about it and move on so quickly.

She missed Carmilla. She missed her like crazy, but it wasn't enough. She just needed more time to sort through her thoughts. Of course she had been listening at the window when Carmilla had shown up the day after Halloween. It had killed her to hear Carmilla sobbing on the porch while she talked to LaF, but Laura had stayed inside, while Perry's arms were wrapped around her, and her own tears trickled down her face. She knew that Carmilla was hurting just as much as she was, if not more. None of that mattered, though. The pain, the guilt, she needed to decide for herself what she wanted, and when she figured that out, then she would let Carmilla explain. 

LaF and Perry were proving to be good distractions. They were at her apartment every night with games and dinner. Danny had even shown up a few times. She had been very supportive towards Laura since Halloween, which had honestly surprised her. She thought that Danny would be jumping at the chance to win her over again, but she was being a really good friend.

Perry was being motherly. She made sure that Laura was eating through, and even went as far as to call Laura during the day to question her about what she had eaten for lunch. She made Laura go into great detail claiming that she would know if she were lying. After three days of Laura telling her that she had picked up a PB&J from the cafeteria, Perry started making Laura's lunch at her apartment when they came over at night. So yes, Laura was eating wonderfully, better than she had been when she was with Carmilla, in fact. It didn't matter that she was practically having to force herself to stand from her desk and get her lunch, or that she felt sick while she was eating. She still did, because she knew that starving herself wouldn't do any good. 

She got through the rest of the week on autopilot, and on Friday when she turned her computer off she couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. It been a miserable week, but she worked her way through it. She grabbed her things and left the office to head home. LaF and Perry had plans that night, and Danny had already called to say that she wasn't going to be able to come over, so Laura knew she was in for a lonely night at her apartment, but she was honestly looking forward to spending the night alone with her thoughts.

–

 **Cupcake:** Do you want to come over and talk?

Carmilla's phone slipped out of her hand and fell to her kitchen floor. It bounced a few times, and she bent to pick it up. With shaking hands, she responded.

 **Carm:** Yes, of course. What time?

 **Cupcake:** Now? I just ordered some take-out. 

**Carm:** Sure, I'll let you know when I get there so you can buzz me up. 

She still had the key to Laura's apartment, but she didn't feel right using it. She was grateful when Laura didn't ask for an explanation. She slipped into her leather jacket and walked out the front door.

She pulled up to Laura's apartment twenty minutes later. Her hands were shaking, and her heart was pounding. She buzzed up to Laura's apartment, and the door clicked open moments later. She inhaled deeply, trying to calm her nerves and walked through the door.

When she arrived at Laura's door, she knocked and heard Laura yell, “It's unlocked!” somewhere behind the door. Carmilla twisted the knob and pushed the door open slowly. The living room was empty, but she heard footsteps moving around the kitchen. Carmilla closed the door behind her and took a few steps inside the room. 

Laura's head peaked around the corner from the kitchen, and Carmilla's heart skipped a beat. How had she managed to become even more beautiful in just a week's time?

“The food just got here. I figured we could be civilized and eat at the table.”

Carmilla nodded in agreement. “That sounds great.” She shrugged out of her leather jacket and tossed it onto the couch as she walked by to the kitchen. There were take-out containers spread across the table, and two cans of grape soda sat beside empty plates. Laura sat at the table, fingers fidgeting with the corner of a napkin, rolling it and unrolling it. 

Carmilla took the seat across from Laura, and stared down at the empty plate in front of her. Why were things so awkward between them? Their interactions just came so easily. They just felt natural. Even this silence felt weird and forced.

“So,” Laura said and Carmilla's head snapped up to look at her. “I ordered all of this food and realized that it may have been too much for just one person. I know how much you love take-out, I even ordered this from your favorite place. I didn't think you'd have a problem coming over to help me eat it.”

“You were right about that, cutie.” The nickname slipped from Carmilla's mouth on accident, and Laura's sharp intake of breath was enough to let Carmilla know that it was a mistake. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-”

“No, it's alright. I just wasn't expecting it.”

Carmilla looked back down at her plate, feeling extremely stupid. This was an awful idea. She shouldn't have come, and she was just about to say so when Laura spoke again.

“Let's just eat. We won't have to talk if we're eating.”

“Right.” Carmilla reached forward to grab one of the containers and scooped some onto her plate as Laura did the same. They both piled food onto their plates, and ate in silence, missing glances from one another as they did.

Carmilla finished her mound of rice that she had on her plate and reached to grab the container at the same time that Laura did. Their fingertips brushed together, and out of habit, Carmilla's fingers laced with Laura's. Each girl gripped half of the container in her hand.

They stared at each other for a moment, and Carmilla opened her mouth to speak. “Laura, I-”

“Uhm..I'm just-I'll be right back.” She stood from the table, and walked away quickly. Carmilla thought she saw a tear rolling down her cheek. 

When Laura returned ten minutes later, her cheeks were red and puffy, and she was sniffing. “Sorry about that. This is just turning out to be a little tougher than I thought.”

“You don't need to apologize. It's hard for me, too.” 

Laura laughed softly. “It doesn't seem like it's hard. You look great.” She looked down at her feet with a sad expression on her face. 

Carmilla stood from the table and moved in front of Laura. “Hey,” she took Laura's chin in between her index finger and thumb, bringing her head up to look at her, “I don't know why this would make you feel better, but I have been a complete wreck without you. I haven't been sleeping, I've been useless at work, and this is probably the most I've eaten all week.”

Laura sighed. “It's stupid, but that does make me feel better.”

“Will you give me a chance to explain myself, please?” 

“That's why I asked you to come over, I want to understand what happened. But I do feel like I need to tell you that I'm not going to be your girlfriend again. I can't. This just hurt me way too much, and I need to just be by myself for a while.”

Carmilla felt the familiar sensation of tears forming in her eyes, and she fought to keep them in. “That's okay, I understand,” she choked out. 

“So,” Laura said, breaking their gaze, “couch, then?” She turned her back to Carmilla and walked into the living room. Carmilla followed her and sat down on the opposite end of the couch from Laura. She wanted to keep as much distance between the two of them, knowing that the pull she felt to Laura would take over eventually if she sat too close, and she wouldn't be able to _not_ touch her.

Laura took a deep, shaky breath before she spoke. “I've kind of already figured out that Elsie isn't your girlfriend, but she was at some point, right?”

“She was. We were together for five years before she was offered a job across the country. I didn't want to stop her career from growing, but I obviously didn't want her to go, and I didn't want to leave here. My entire life is here. I couldn't just pick up and go, so she went without me. We tried to make things work at first, but things just sort of fell apart. We were missing each others calls, text messages and emails went unanswered. I fought it for a really long time before I just gave up and stopped trying.” Carmilla sighed as the memories and feeling came rushing back. “It hurt like hell. We went about a month without talking at all. She didn't try to contact me, and I was trying to move on. Eventually though, I think she realized what was happening and she felt remorse. She tried frantically to get in touch with me. Phone calls, emails, text messages. But I was just done at that point, so I didn't respond to anything. I was moving on, and didn't want to go through all of that pain again.”

“So you two never really had any closure? Or an actual break up?”

Carmilla shook her head. “We just kind of..died off.”

“I'm really sorry, Carm. That must have been terrible.” 

“It was at first, but then things got easier. I picked up a new normal and fell into it.”

“Well thank you for-for telling me. I guess I understand the entire exchange at your apartment a little better now. Since you two never really had a formal break up, it's not entirely crazy for her to think that she's still your girlfriend.” Laura laughed awkwardly. 

“She knows she's not now. Her and I talked it all out after you-that night, and she's finally going to start moving on now.”

“That's good, I'm glad you two had some closure.”

“Laura, why do I feel like this is you getting closure from our relationship? We don't have to end things.”

Laura closed her eyes, and Carmilla watched her face scrunch up. When she opened her eyes, they were red with unshed tears. “I can't do it again, Carmilla. I've been lied to too many times before, and I have trust issues now, and I just don't know if I can trust you again.”

“But I didn't lie to you, Laura!” Carmilla argued.

“A lie of omission is-”

“Still a lie,” Carmilla finished. “Yeah, I remember, you told me that night.” Carmilla looked away from Laura towards the door. “I guess I should go. I've said all that I can, and it's not going to get me anywhere.”

“I'm sorry, Carm. I just-I just need more time.”

“S'okay. Thanks for giving me a chance to explain what happened.” Carmilla stood from the couch and grabbed her jacket from where it laid. She walked to the door and pulled it open. 

She turned to look back into the living room. Laura was hunched over on the couch with her head in her hands, crying silently. Carmilla fought the urge to rush over and comfort her, knowing that it would only make things worse. She blinked and her own tears came rushing down her face.

She cleared her throat, trying to stop the sob that had formed there, and Laura looked up at the sound. She couldn't help herself. “Do you miss me?” Carmilla asked in a whisper.

“Like someone cut a hole in me,” Laura breathed out. 

Carmilla nodded slowly, looking away from Laura with new tears falling down her face. 

“Goodnight, Carm,” Laura whispered.

Carmilla swallowed, trying to open her throat so she could respond. “Goodnight.” She stepped out of the door and pulled it closed behind her. She heard a strangled sob come from inside the apartment, and clenched her fists at her sides. She couldn't save Laura from this pain no matter how hard she wanted to. Hell, she couldn't even save herself from this pain. She walked down the hall and exited the building, tears still flowing freely down her face as she drove to her apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sad chapters are such shit to write. This sucked. Like really bad. And it took me three damn days. I'm just sad now and I'm going to drown myself in a tub of ice cream. I hope you all cried over this chapter as much as I did. OH! Happy day-after-Halloween!
> 
> And as always, don't be afraid to come say hello!  
> micanickel.tumblr.com


	14. Out on the Town

“Laur, if you miss her so damn much, why don't you just talk to her?” LaF asked sounding frustrated.

They were sitting in the round corner booth at the new bar that had just opened down the road from Danny's apartment, The Lustig. Laura had been nursing the same drink for over an hour, and turned down any offers to get her a fresh one.

“Honey, Laura doesn't want to talk to Carmilla just yet. She will when she's ready.” Perry put a reassuring arm around Laura's shoulders. “Don't let them pressure you into anything.”

“We practically had to force her to come out with us, and she hasn't said a word the entire time we've been sitting here.”

“LaFontaine, don't.” Danny scoulded.

“Don't what? Point out that she's just sitting there pining over her brooding lover.” LaFontaine crossed their arms and leaned back in the booth. 

“I am not!” Laura said indignantly.

“You totally are. You're the piniest pine who ever pined.”

Laura opened her mouth to speak, but closed it, unable to express her thoughts clearly. She shook her head and stared down into her glass. She really did miss Carmilla. Maybe LaF was right.

“I just feel like such an idiot about the whole thing. I got so upset over something that turned out to be nothing.” She sighed and took a small sip over her drink, and, _oh god_ , it was really disgusting. She definitely needed a new one. “I'm not going to do anything about it tonight. I need to just enjoy my night out with you guys, and figure out what I'm going to do in the morning.”

“That's the spirit!” Danny smiled down at her. “I'll go get you a new drink from the bar.” She stood from the booth and made her way across the crowded room to the bar. Laura watched her lean across the counter to get the bartenders attention, signaling that she needed service.

“How have things at the paper been?” Perry's voice pulled her attention back to the table. 

“Busy,” Laura admitted. “I never thought that I would annoyed with having so many stories to write, but they just keep piling up on my desk. You get _one_ story in The New York Times, and suddenly you're the best writer in the office.”

“But that's good! More bylines!” Perry nodded enthusiastically.

“I know. I shouldn't really be complaining. I've just had a lot of things on my mind, so it's been hard to focus.”

“Well maybe if you just _talked to Carmilla_ -”

“LaFontaine, that's enough,” Perry interrupted. 

LaF glared down at the table, and Laura couldn't help but smile at the pair. She really loved their relationship. Sure, Perry sometimes acted like a mother, but LaF needed it sometimes when they got carried away with their wild antics. 

“I really do appreciate you getting me out of the house, LaF.” Laura reached across Perry and squeezed their hand. “If I hadn't come out, I'd probably just be sitting on my couch watching sappy romance movies and eating another huge tub of ice cream.”

LaF's expression brightened. “I still can't believe I caught you eating that chocolate ice cream with a cake slicer.”

Laura shrugged. “All of my dishes were dirty, and it was all I had to use.”

Perry's head snapped over to Laura. “You used a cake slicer to eat ice cream instead of just washing a spoon?”

Laura shrunk down in the booth. “Well uh..yeah.”

“Laura that's not-”

“Here ya go, Hollis!” Danny set a drink down in front of Laura with a flourish.

Laura looked up at her, thankful for the interruption. Her mouth dropped open at the tray that Danny was carrying. It was loaded with multiple shot glasses that had different colored liquids in each.

“Danny, what are those?”

“Shots!” Danny shouted. She carefully set the tray down in the middle of the table and flopped down beside Laura. “I thought we might need something to speed this party up a little bit.”

“But..shots?” Laura asked hesitantly. The memory of the last night she had drank so much was fresh in her mind, and she did not want to relive that experience. 

“Yep! So,” Danny reached forward and took a shot from the tray. “Drink up, Hollis!” She handed the shot glass to Laura, who took it wearily. She leaned forward and took one for herself.

LaF and Perry eagerly grabbed two for themselves, and the group held the tiny glasses out to the middle of the table. Remembering the rules they had set at the last night they had gone out drinking, Laura made eye contact with the three sitting around her. She tapped her glass on the table and brought it up to her mouth. The cold liquid coated her tongue, and she swallowed, feeling it burn its way down her throat. 

Danny, Laura, and Perry coughed slightly after they had drank their shots, but LaF sat proudly in their spot, shoulders back and head held high. 

“You guys are such wimps,” they scoffed. 

“Oh, just because you can take a shot without even a grimace doesn't mean that you're something special. I bet if I drank as much as you did in college-”

“You think you'd be able to drink like I do, Lawrence? I highly doubt that.”

“Well let's just see about that then.” Danny reached to the tray and grabbed another shot. She held it up to LaFontaine expectantly.

“Are you challenging me to a drink-off right now?”

“You bet your ass I am.” Danny gestured to the tray with her free hand. “Unless you're scared.”

LaFontaine's hand jumped forward to the tray before Danny had even finished speaking. “You're on,” they said as they raised the shot glass in the air. The two locked eyes for a few seconds, and hit the glasses on the table before tossing the drinks into their mouths. 

Laura turned her head quickly between the two, watching for any negative reaction from the shots they had just taken. LaFontaine swallowed easily and slammed the glass down on the table. Danny, on the other hand, seemed to struggle with swallowing, but her face remained void of emotion. She flipped her glass upside down and placed it in front of her on the table. 

“Ready to go again?” Danny asked across the table.

“I was born ready.” They both took another shot from the table, repeating the same process from before. LaFontaine swallowed the shot just as easily as they had the previous two, and Laura quickly turned her head to Danny. She sat calmly in her seat in the booth, having already swallowed the liquid.

“Well that one seemed to go down a bit easier than the last,” Laura remarked.

Danny shrugged, “The more I drink, the more I like them.”

“Well as impressive as it is, I need to use the restroom,” Laura tapped the side of Danny's leg. “Scootch out so I can get up.”

Danny removed herself from the booth beside Laura and stood by the table while she squeezed out behind her. “I'll be right back.” She turned and made her way across the building to the bathroom.

As she was walking away, Perry's voice carried from the booth. “You've both had three shots now, I really don't think you need any-LaFontaine, stop looking at her like that, you know how competitive Danny can g-Danny I really don't think it's a good idea for you to have more, especially when you're drinking beer. Alright, that's just great, no one listens to Lola, but you'll both regret this in the morning.”

Laura chuckled to herself, and entered the bathroom. Tonight was turning out to be a really great night.

–

Carmilla tried to ignore the flash of honey blonde hair she had seen out of the corner of her eye. She, of course, knew immediately who it belonged to. She pushed the butterflies that had bloomed in her stomach away, and tried to do the same with the slight pangs that had started in her chest. Those didn't go away so easily, though. She had realized that enough over the past two weeks that had passed since she had dinner over at Laura's apartment. 

Giving Laura the space she desired was turning out to be more difficult than Carmilla had first imagined. She picked up extra shifts at the hospital during the week to keep herself busy, but there was only so much overtime the hospital would let her get. The hours she spent alone at her apartment were, by far, the worst, so she tried to keep herself as busy as possible.

Ell invited her out to the new bar that just opened, and she begrudgingly agreed to go. Now she was sitting alone at the bar while Ell danced with some girl that had approached the two of them half an hour earlier. The girl told Carmilla she had some friends that would be more than happy to dance with her, but Carmilla politely declined. She came to the bar to hang out with her best friend, not have some random, drunken one night stand. 

Now, seeing that Laura was in the same place as her for the first time in two weeks, Carmilla felt drained and just wanted to go home. She twisted on her stool, and began scanning the crowd for Ell. Once she located her wedged between two brunettes, she stood from the bar, and walked across the room, dodging the gyrating bodies as she went. 

“Hey loser, I'm going to get out of here,” Carmilla yelled over the music.

Ell removed herself from between the two women, apologizing as she did, and promising to return quickly. “What's up, Mircalla?”

“I'm just ready to get home. Really tired.” Carmilla faked a yawn, and hoped that Ell would think it was real.

Ell gave her a calculating look, and Carmilla knew immediately that she had failed at fooling her. “There's something else going on. You seem more..broody than you were earlier.”

“I am not brooding,” Carmilla said crossing her arms, a scowl immediately forming on her face.

“Oh because pouting in a freaking bar of all places definitely says that, right?”

“I just don't want to be here anymore, okay? It's crowded and stuffy.”

“It isn't any more crowded than it was when we first got here, and you seemed perfectly fine with it then.”

“It's gotten significantly more crowded, actually.” Her eyes followed the red hair that walked from the bar to a booth in the corner. 

Ell turned around to see who she was looking at, eyes widening at first when she spotted Laura at the booth with the three redheads. Her eyes narrowed, and she threw her shoulders back, standing taller. She turned back to Carmilla. “I am not going to let her ruin your night.”

“She's-she's not ruining my night, Ell. I just want to go home.” While Ell was standing up straight with her head held high, Carmilla's shoulders were drawn forward, and her chin was lowered to her chest. Even across a crowded room, she was worried that Laura would see her. 

“You made a mess of things, Carmilla, but that doesn't mean you two don't belong together. She misses you, too.”

Carmilla rolled her eyes. “You're so sure, and you haven't even talked to her yourself.”

Ell's eyes brightened. “I haven't talked to her, have I?” She turned away from Carmilla. “Let's change that, shall we?”

She took a quick step forward, and Carmilla grabbed her arm. “No, Ell, I don't want to do this. I don't want to force myself on her.”

Ell looked down at Carmilla's hand on her arm. She sighed and pulled Carmilla into a hug. “Look, I know how upset you've been about all of this. It's killing you, Carmilla. You haven't been yourself, and I bet if I asked the ginger squad over there, they'd say the same about Laura.” She leaned her upper body away from Carmilla, but kept her arms around her arms around Carmilla's shoulders. “I remember the way you two would look at each other. It was extremely gross, and even with my aversion to anything even remotely romantic, I yearned for someone to look at me the way she looked at you. She loves you, stupid.”

“Love?” Carmilla laughed softly. “That may be a bit of a stretch. We weren't even together for that long.”

“Just because it isn't said out loud, doesn't mean it isn't true.” Ell released her shoulders and stepped back. “Do you love her?”

“I-well-maybe?”

“Stop being an idiot, of course you do.” Ell punched Carmilla's shoulder softly. “I know you better than you know yourself apparently.”

Carmilla sighed, “So what if I do? I can't just go over there and confess my undying love for a girl that doesn't want anything to do with me right now.” She looked over Ell's shoulder to the booth where Laura was sitting. Carmilla's heart ached, wanting to be the one that was causing the laughter coming from Laura. She watched as Laura grabbed a shot glass from the table and tossed it into her mouth, grimacing slightly as she swallowed.

“I'm not telling you to propose to her, stupid,” Ell's voice interrupted her thoughts, “I'm just saying that maybe talking wouldn't be so bad.”

“We talked. She doesn't want to anymore.”

“She's had time to think about it, maybe she's changed her mind?” Ell took a step backwards towards the booth slowly.

“I don't know how I've put up with you for so long,” Carmilla glared at her. “You're a pain in my ass.”

Ell grinned at her, and whipped around to face the booth. She looked over her shoulder to make sure that Carmilla was going to follow. Carmilla responded by shooing her forward. Ell's grin still in place, she faced forward, and walked towards the booth with Carmilla trailing slowly behind her.

–

“Hey, Laura!” Laura turned to the voice, seeing the other three do the same. Her eyes widened when she met Ell's gaze. Carmilla was standing a foot behind Ell, looking down at her feet sheepishly. 

“Oh, uhm, hi Ell!” She pushed Danny sideways so she could climb out of the booth. Danny was too busy glaring over at Carmilla to notice Laura's efforts, though. “Danny, get. up.” Laura continued to push.

“Oh! Sorry, Hollis. I didn't even notice you were trying to get me to move.” She climbed out of the booth and waited long enough for Laura to get out before she slid back in where Laura had been sitting, continuing to glare at Carmilla. 

Laura wrapped her arms around Ell's neck and pulled her into a hug. “I've missed you.” She had hung out with Ell a lot while her and Carmilla had been dating, and she was really beginning to enjoy her friendship so it kind of sucked to lose it when she had ended things with Carmilla. She pulled back from Ell and gave Carmilla a small smile. “Hey, Carm.”

Carmilla's head jerked up, and she looked at Laura. “Hey, cupcake,” Laura heard her mumble quietly. 

“Do you guys want to join us?” Perry said trying to ease some of the tension. “Danny and LaFontaine just finished their ridiculous shot challenge, and there's no way the four of us are going to be able to finish all of these. I told Danny she didn't need to buy another tray.”

Danny shrugged, not taking her eyes off of Carmilla. “I wanted more.”

Carmilla looked over at Danny. "Who wont the shot challenge?"

Danny smirked. "I did, of course. LaFontaine can't seem to handle their liquor the more they drink."

Carmilla smiled at Danny. "I didn't even need to ask." The tension eased between the two of them, and Danny sat back in the booth, smiling.

“I think Carmilla and I were just about to leave actually,” Ell said.

Laura's stomach lurched uncomfortably. “Leave? No, don't go yet. Come sit with us!” 

“I just saw you before we walked out the door and wanted to come say hi, but Carmilla was actually just complaining about how tired she-”

“No I wasn't, Ell. You're always so dramatic,” Carmilla rolled her eyes and smiled at Laura. “We'd love to sit with you.” 

Laura's heart swelled with excitement, and she let it show on her face. “Great. That's-good, awesome.” 

Ell slid into the booth beside Danny, and Laura followed her. She scooted as close as she could to Ell, expecting Carmilla to sit beside her, but was disappointed when Carmilla climbed in beside LaF. She watched as Carmilla bent her head, listening to something that LaF was whispering in her ear. Carmilla nodded solemnly and stood from the booth. 

LaF climbed out behind her. “We're going to get a drink from the bar. Be right back.”

Laura watched them walk away until she lost sight of them in the crowd. She turned back to the girls sitting in the booth. The three were sitting somewhat awkwardly, not speaking. 

“Oh! You don't really know each other, do you?” They all shook their heads at her. “Perry, Danny, this is Ell. She's Carm's best friend. Ell, these are two of my best friends. LaFontaine went with Carm, though, so you'll have to be introduced to them later.”

Ell smiled over at Danny and Perry. “It's nice to meet you ladies.”

The three seemed to relax slightly, and Perry started questioning Ell about her life. Laura smiled to herself. _“Typical Perry,”_ she thought. 

Laura zoned out from the conversation, glancing around occasionally and looking for signs of LaF and Carmilla. It had been a complete shock to see Carmilla standing at their table, but she was excited at the chance to hang out with her again. Maybe they would have enough time to talk some. 

Her head was only slightly fuzzy from the amount of shots she had taken, and she was finishing her third drink. She knew it wasn't the ideal situation for them to work through the issues that they had, but at least they would both be relaxed enough to not be so tense around each other. The conversation about their failed relationship could come at a later time when they weren't drinking. This night would just be an excellent ice breaker. 

Carmilla and LaF extracted themselves from the crowd in the room, making their way towards the table. When they arrived back to the table, Carmilla set a drink down in front of Laura and gave her a shy smile. “I noticed you were getting a little low.” 

Laura grinned up at her, alcohol surging through her system and loosening her up. “Thanks, Carm.” Carmilla's smile widened, and she climbed into the booth beside LaF. 

–

The group sat talking for a while until Perry slammed her hand down on the table.

“I want to dance!” she exclaimed. Her cheeks were slightly pink, and her hair was more out of control than usual. 

LaF looked over at her, looking surprised. “Did I hear you correctly, Perr? You want to dance?”

“That's right!” Perry yelled. 

“Well I may be a little biased but,” LaF scooted over closer to Carmilla, motioning for her to stand from the booth, “I think you've got a pretty excellent dance partner right here.” They stood up beside Carmilla and held out their hand to Perry. Perry squealed with excitement and removed herself from the booth as fast as she could. She grabbed LaF's hand and pulled them to the group of moving bodies in the middle of the room. 

Danny moved around the booth to the open side and climbed out. When she was finally standing, she gave a small bow and held her hand out to Ell. “Would you care to join me for a dance, m'lady?”

Ell pretended to blush and followed Danny's motions around the booth. “I would be absolutely delighted, madam.” She placed her hand in Danny's open palm, and slid gracefully from the booth. They girls laughed at each other, Ell playfully shoving Danny's shoulder, and began walking after LaF and Perry. Laura was grinning at the pair of them, happy to see her friends getting along so soon after meeting each other. 

Carmilla shook her head as she watched the two girls disappear into the crowd. “They'd better not end up together. I would have to kill Ell.” She took her place in the booth across from Laura and looked over at her. “Did you want to dance, cutie?”

Laura shook her head causing the room to spin around her. “No, I don't know how well my balance is right now.”

Carmilla chuckled softly. “How are your lips, Laura?”

Laura licked them quickly and smacked them together. “Numb!” She announced. Carmilla knew that Laura's lips went numb when she was intoxicated, so this was her way of finding out if Laura was drunk or not.

“How much have you had to drink?”

“I had,” Laura started counting mentally in her head, “four drinks and five shots so far.”

“Whoa, you might want to slow down,” Carmilla cautioned. “Did you drive yourself here?”

“I rode with LaF and Perry to Danny's apartment, and we all walked from there. She lives right down the road.” 

Carmilla nodded and took a sip of the beer she was holding in her hand. “Well Big Red will make sure you get home safe and sound, I'm sure.” Laura noticed that her expression seemed sad as she said it.

“What if I don't want her to take me home?” Laura said quietly. 

Carmilla looked up through her eyelashes at Laura. “You could probably find someone else that's willing to get you home.”

“Someone else that's sitting at this booth with me right now?” Laura asked, smirking at Carmilla.

Carmilla looked down at the table, and Laura noticed a blush creeping up her cheeks. “I think if you wanted that person to get you home safely, she'd be more than happy to oblige.”

Laura grinned and looked down at her drink. The girls lapsed into a comfortable silence, just enjoying each others presence. 

\--

A half hour later, the rest of the group appeared at the edge of the crowd. Perry and LaF were stumbling along beside each other while Danny and Ell trailed along behind them. They all appeared to be in good spirits, although slightly out of breath. 

“Laura, sweetie, LaFontaine and I are ready to get out of here, so we're going to walk back to Danny's apartment with her. Are you ready to go or,” Perry looked at Carmilla pointedly, “do you want to stay a little longer?”

“Actually, I think I'm ready to get home, too.” Carmilla's heart dropped at these words, and she looked down at her hands that were in her lap. “But,” Laura's foot tapped hers under the table, and Carmilla looked up at her again, “Carm promised to get me home safe and sound, so if she's ready to get out of here, we might just leave with you.” 

Carmilla felt a grin spreading across her face. “Yeah, I'm ready to go.”

Ell clapped her hands together joyfully, and Carmilla shot a glare at her. “What? I'm just..really tired and ready to get home, too. Although I'm slightly disappointed that now I have to take a taxi because you were my ride here.”

“Don't be ridiculous,” Carmilla said, “I can take you home before I drop Laura off. Your house is on the way to hers.”

“No, no. I don't want to interrupt anything. I'll find a way home.” Ell grinned mischievously at Carmilla who glared at her even harder.

“Whatever, loser.” 

Danny turned to look down at Ell. “I've got a spare room at my apartment, you could take it tonight if you'd like, and then I'll give you a ride home in the morning.”

“That doesn't sound half bad, actually. Thanks.” Ell smiled up at Danny, and Carmilla groaned audibly causing the group to laugh. 

They made their way to the exit, shuffling through the crowd that had thinned slightly throughout the night. They left the building and called goodbyes to each other as they went their separate ways. 

Carmilla felt Laura's fingers slide against hers, and her heart skipped a beat when their fingers intertwined. She looked down at their hands, and up to Laura's face. Laura seemed to be oblivious to Carmilla's gaze, choosing to pay attention to the buildings around them as they walked to Carmilla's car. 

–

“But I'm not ready to go to sleep yet, Carm! I feel so alive!” 

Carmilla had pulled into a spot outside of Laura's apartment and helped the intoxicated girl climb out of the car. When she had started walking towards the door to the building with Laura's hand in hers, Laura had stopped walking, claiming that she didn't want to go inside yet since it felt so good out. They both sat on the steps that lead to the door for ten minutes before Carmilla told Laura it was time to go inside and go to sleep. 

Laura stood from where she had been sitting on the steps and opened her arms wide. She spun in circles, stumbling around the sidewalk and almost falling multiple times. Carmilla stood quickly and wrapped her arms around Laura's waist, effectively stopping her movements. 

“I'm tired, and I want to get you inside and in bed before I head home.”

“Home? Your home is right here, Carm.” Okay, maybe Laura was more intoxicated than Carmilla thought. Still, the words caused Carmilla to feel warmer than she had in weeks.

“My home is across town, cutie,” Carmilla lied. Laura's words held more truth than she realized.

Laura pouted as Carmilla spoke. “Fine, but I still thought you were going to stay here with me.”

Carmilla sighed, acting frustrated. “I guess I can stay if you really want me to.”

Laura jumped in the air gleefully causing Carmilla to stumble as she still had her arms around Laura's waist. 

Laura giggled, and her face took on a guilty expression. “I'm sorry, I'm just so excited. I've missed sleep overs with you!”

“I've missed them, too,” Carmilla said softly. “So does this mean we can go inside now?”

“Duh, Carm. The only reason I didn't want to go to sleep was because I wasn't ready to say goodbye to you just yet, and now I don't have to!” Laura giggled again and wrapped her arms around Carmilla's shoulders, pulling her against her chest in a tight hug. 

Carmilla groaned and blew Laura's hair out of her mouth. “Cupcake. Tired. Upstairs. Please.”

“Right,” Laura said pulling back. “Sorry. Let's go.” 

Carmilla heart jumped in her chest when Laura tangled their fingers together again and pulled her up the steps to the door. 

Forty minutes later, Carmilla was laying on Laura's couch under a pile of blankets. It had taken her a while to convince Laura that she was going to sleep on the couch. Laura argued that they had slept in the same bed before, and there was no reason for things to be awkward, but Carmilla didn't want to rush anything. Her and Laura needed to establish a friendship again before jumping into anything romantic. 

It had been so hard to turn Laura's down, though. Especially when she had been standing in the middle of her room in nothing but her boy shorts and a tight tank top. But Carmilla had stuck to her guns, and now she was laying on Laura's couch staring up at the ceiling, unable to sleep. 

Carmilla sighed heavily and fluffed the pillow under her head violently. She closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep. Five minutes later, she heard Laura's door creak open slowly. Carmilla frowned and cracked one eye open slightly, trying to see what the girl was doing. The room was too dark, though, and Carmilla couldn't see anything on the other side of the room.

There was a soft thud, and Laura whispered “Ow! Shit! Who the hell thought it was a good idea to take their shoes off right outside my door?”

Carmilla smiled to herself. They were Laura's shoes. She kicked them off as she was walking into the bedroom, and Carmilla hadn't bothered to pick them up. 

Carmilla could hear soft footsteps getting closer to her, and soon, Laura's silhouette appeared at Carmilla's feet, and she closed her eye again, relaxing her features and trying to appear to be asleep. 

“Carm,” Laura whispered. Carmilla's face twitched, but she didn't respond. “Pst. Carm?” Carmilla heard Laura's feet shuffling across the floor by the couch, and a moment later, a soft hand patted her shoulder. “Carm, I can't sleep. Wake up.”

Carmilla groaned, keeping up her act, and opened her eyes. “Hey, cutie.”

Laura grinned down at her. “You're awake!”

“I am now,” Carmilla chuckled. “Do you need something? Are you feeling sick?”

“No, not sick necessarily,” Laura mumbled. 

“Well, what's going on?”

“I'm not sure. I just can't sleep.” Laura was wringing her hands together, and she wouldn't make eye contact with Carmilla. “I think it's because you're here but you're not in there. You're in my apartment, and it's all I've wanted for weeks now, since you left last time, if I'm being honest. But I don't like it. I don't like that you're out here and I'm in there. I want you in there with me. All I can think about is you laying out here without me.”

“Cupcake, I don't want to mess things up a second time around.”

“I know you don't. You explained all of that earlier,” Laura sighed. “But how is this going to mess anything up if you want to be in there and I want you to be in there?”

“I just don't want you to wake up in the morning and regret asking me to sleep with you. You're intoxicated. This might not really be what you want.”

“Drinking only increases your personality, but it doesn't change it. It doesn't change my morals. I want to fall asleep to the sound of your heartbeat, and your arms around me.” Carmilla could make out tears forming in Laura's eyes. “I've missed sleeping with you so much, Carm. I mean, I've missed doing a lot of things with you, but I think sleeping was one of my favorites. You just looks so peaceful and beautiful with your features so relaxed, but I always feel so safe in your arms, and it's been absolute hell trying to adjust to sleeping alone again. I've tried pillows, and wrapping up in blankets. I even bought a sound machine that has heart beats, but it's not the same. Nothing's the same without you, and I've just been so miserable. Please come in there and-”

Carmilla sat up and grabbed Laura's hand. “Stop rambling and come on.” She stood from the couch and pulled Laura behind her. In the back of her mind, she couldn't help thinking that this really wasn't a good idea, but she couldn't deny the truth behind Laura's words. Sleeping alone was awful after she had gotten used to the feeling of Laura's weight beside her, or wrapped around her most of the time. 

They entered Laura's room, and Carmilla pushed the bedroom door shut behind them. She dropped Laura's hand and walked over to the bed. Laura's voice stopped her.

"Take your pants off."

"What?" Carmilla asked, her voice reaching a pitch she didn't recognize.

"I know you don't like sleeping in your leather pants, so take them off and be comfortable."

Carmilla stared at Laura for a minute before she unbuttoned her pants and slipped them down her legs. She stepped closer to the bed and climbed on, crawling on her hands and knees until she reached the headboard. She flipped over onto her back, and pulled Laura's yellow pillow under her head.

Laura stood at the side of the bed waiting for her signal to climb in, and once Carmilla was settled, she tossed her arm out to the side, and Laura flung herself down onto the bed gleefully. Carmilla laid still as Laura flopped around trying to get comfortable. She snuggled over to Carmilla, laying her head on her chest. Carmilla felt one of Laura's legs raise into the air, kicking the blanket around before it settled back across Carmilla's legs. Carmilla reveled in the skin-on-skin contact.

Carmilla wrapped both of her arms around Laura and sighed contently. Why had she fought this earlier? She nuzzled her face into Laura's hair and inhaled the scent she had been longing to have surround her for weeks. 

“I've missed you, Carmilla,” Laura breathed out. “I'm so happy you're here again.”

Carmilla closed her eyes, and felt herself beginning to drift off already. “I'm really glad to be here, too, Laura. You have no idea how much I've missed you.”

Laura squeezed her arms tighter at Carmilla's waist, and Carmilla felt her breath starting to even out moments later. 

For the first time in three weeks, she finally felt like she was home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is kind of short in comparison to the last few, but writers' block decided to rear it's ugly head again, and I just wanted to get this chapter out to you guys because it's been so long since I updated! And I'm sorry about that, life just got carried away with me this past week, and I haven't had time to do much writing. BUT! Here it is! They've still go to talk about their problems, or at least Laura needs to talk to Carmilla about why she had such a big problem, and it'll come. But I just couldn't resist giving you guys some fluff since you were all so sweet about the last chapter! Hope you enjoyed it!!
> 
> And, as always, don't be afraid to stop by and say hello!!  
> micanickel.tumblr.com


	15. Confessions

Laura woke up the following morning to cold sheets and an empty bed. She pushed herself up on her elbows and looked around the room. There was no sign of Carmilla. She sighed heavily and climbed out of bed, trying to ignore the pain in her head and the even worse pain in her chest. 

Upon entering the bathroom, she noticed that her mirror was covered in tall, spiraling, red letters. She recognized it immediately as Carmilla's handwriting, and shuffled closer to read the message. 

_Cupcake,_  
Ran out to grab things for breakfast. Your cupboards were awfully bare again, and I can only imagine what that means you've been eating. Cookies? There's a glass of water and some Aleve on your bedside table. Take it and go back to sleep.  
See you soon. XOXO 

Laura couldn't even be aggravated that her entire mirror was now covered in her favorite red lipstick. Carmilla hadn't just left her apartment without saying goodbye. She was coming back, and they would work things out and spend the entire day together. She hugged herself tightly, and skipped back to her bedroom to take the medicine Carmilla had left out for her. She climbed back into bed, falling asleep within minutes of closing her eyes.

–

“Hey, cutie,” Carmilla gently shook Laura's shoulder, trying to wake her from her slumber. “It's time to wake up.”

Laura's eyes fluttered open, and she stretched her arms above her head with a groan. Carmilla sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for Laura to settle back into the covers. Laura sighed and her arms fell back to her sides. She blinked sleepily up at Carmilla.

“Morning,” Carmilla said with a grin.

“Good morning,” Laura whispered back. “How was your shopping trip?”

“Oh, I didn't think you had even gotten out of bed.” Carmilla stood from the bed, and reached over to Laura's bedside table, grabbing the tray she had set there moments before. “Sit up, cupcake. Breakfast is served.” Laura's eyes that had been slowly closing again snapped open.

“Carm! What is this?” Laura pushed herself into a seated position on her bed, and rested her back against the headboard. She looked eagerly up at Carmilla.

“I didn't think you'd be too willing to get out of bed this morning after the night that you had, so I wanted to-I just wanted-here.” She set the tray down across Laura's legs, unable to clearly articulate her thoughts on why she wanted to make Laura breakfast. 

She watched Laura's grin grow on her face as she took in everything that was carefully placed on the tray. Carmilla had picked a small bouquet of flowers from the store that were placed in a vase she found under Laura's kitchen sink. Laura's favorite Doctor Who mug sat beside the flowers, filled to the brim with steaming cocoa. The bigger plate in the middle of the tray held a stack of blueberry pancakes, Laura's favorite, and a smaller plate to the side was loaded with bacon and eggs. Carmilla had wrapped a set of Laura's silverware in a napkin and set it beside the plate of pancakes. 

“Carm, this is amazing.” Laura's grin softened, and she looked up at Carmilla, “Thank you so much.”

“Anytime,” Carmilla smiled down at her. “I'd better get going, though.”

Laura's expression quickly changed to one of panic, and she lifted the tray from her lap and made to place it beside her on the bed. “No, Carm, please don't go. I've really missed you, and-”

“Cupcake,” Carmilla interrupted, “I'm only joking. I wouldn't leave even if you tried kicking me out. I just need to go grab my breakfast from the kitchen.”

Laura narrowed her eyes at Carmilla. “That wasn't very nice of you.”

Carmilla chuckled and leaned down to place a chaste kiss on the top of Laura's head. “I just wanted to make sure that you really wanted me here.” She turned and walked towards the door.

“You could have just asked instead of almost giving me a panic attack,” Laura mumbled behind her. 

“Where's the fun in that, cutie?” Carmilla called over her shoulder. 

Carmilla carried her tray into Laura's bedroom, and smiled at the sight that greeted her as she came in the doorway. Bagheera had climbed onto the bed with Laura and was curled up in a tight ball between the tray over her lap and her legs.  
"Looks like we've got some company this morning." Carmilla set her tray down on Laura's bedside table and knelt on the floor beside the bed. She lowered her head slightly, reaching under the tray and gently stroking the kitten's fur.

Laura giggled, and Carmilla looked up at her. "He's happy that you're here, Carm. He's purring so much, I can feel it on my legs. I'm surprised you can't hear him."

Carmilla leaned her head closer to Bagheera, and, sure enough, she could hear purring coming from the kitten's chest. She shifted her hand to scratch behind his ears. "I've missed you, too, little guy." Bagheera responded by pushing his head against Carmilla's hand forcefully and purring louder.

Laura giggled again. "You've got the rest of the day to spend with Bagheera. Get up here. I've been patiently waiting to start the show."

Carmilla stood from where she was kneeling and looked over at Laura's TV. It was turned on and paused on a black screen.

"What are we watching?"

"It's a surprise."

"Cupcake," Carmilla groaned, "I don't want to watch Doctor Who." She climbed onto the bed and pulled her tray across her lap.

"Don't be silly," Laura said, "Of course you do. You were really starting to get into it before we-before every-before uhm-you like it! I know you do, so we're watching it."

Carmilla noticed Laura's unwillingness to bring up what had happened between the two of them, but she chose to ignore it in favor of taking a massive bite of her pancakes. She knew they were going to have to discuss the issues at some point if they were going to work everything out. For now, though, she just wanted to enjoy her morning with Laura. She settled back into the pillows, and Laura pressed the blue 'X' on her controller to start the show.

\--

"I just don't get it," Laura said as she set her now empty mug down on the tray that was on the floor beside the bed. Her and Carmilla had watched a full two episodes of Doctor Who, but now they were watching Gilmore Girls. Laura had gotten up to refill both of their mugs for the third time, and when she returned to the room, the Gilmore Girls theme song was playing from the TV. Laura had opened her mouth to argue with Carmilla about turning off her show, but her words were cut short when she saw  
Carmilla sitting cross-legged in the middle of the bed, cradling Bagheera while she softly sang the song to him.

Not wanting to ruin the moment, Laura had crept quietly back to her kitchen. When she heard the final notes of the song, she walked back to her room making sure to make as much noise as she could. She entered the room and found Carmilla sitting innocently in the middle of the bed with Bagheera beside her.

Carmilla had grinned at her and patted the empty space beside her. "Bagheera took your spot when you got up, so you'll have to sit by the wall."

Laura had rolled her eyes trying to seem annoyed, but crawled on the bed to sit next to Carmilla. Now they were watching Carmilla's favorite show, and Laura was feeling very frustrated by it.

"What don't you get?" Carmilla asked, turning her head to look at Laura.

Carmilla's arm brushed against Laura's, and her stomach jumped at the touch. They were sitting much closer now that Laura was squished in between the wall and Carmilla.

Laura ran her hand through her hair, ignoring the tension she was sure only she was experiencing. "Luke and Lorelai. They're obviously meant to be together. Why the hell aren't they?"

"Sometimes it's not so easy to see what's directly in front of you," Carmilla said. Something flashed in her eyes too quick for Laura to place. "It's the classic love story. They seemingly hate each other in the beginning, they become friends, and then they're the only ones who can't see how in love with each other they are."

"But that's heart breaking," Laura said. "There's all this wasted opportunity to be with each other. Days, weeks, months! Years, Carm! Years!" She threw her hands up in the air, gesturing violently as she spoke. "It's ridiculous!"

Carmilla sighed and turned her attention back to the TV. "Maybe they're just scared of admitting that they're in love," Laura heard her mumble. "Rejection isn't exactly fun."

"Luke wouldn't reject Lorelai," Laura said.

"No, he definitely wouldn't." Carmilla turned her head again, looking at Laura. She sighed heavily and laid her head on the headboard. "He's completely in love with her. Head over heels, stomach wrenching, can't sleep, can't eat, day dreaming all day love."

Laura saw the same fleeting look cross through Carmilla's eyes again, but, like before, it was too quick to catch. "He should tell her then," Laura insisted.

Carmilla shook her head. "Lorelai isn't ready for that. She's still got a lot of growing up to do. Luke knows that."

"I don't know how he can be so patient."

"Their time will come, cupcake." Carmilla wrapped her arm around Laura's shoulder and pulled her close. "Don't you worry your pretty little mind. Things always work out in the end."

Laura sighed and leaned into Carmilla's embrace. She knew she really shouldn't be enjoying it as much as she was, but she had missed the comfort and feeling of safety that came from being in Carmilla's arms more than she could ever explain. They had to talk about everything eventually. Laura wasn't naive enough to believe that things would go back to normal without a discussion, but for now, she was going to take full advantage and get as much as she could from this before things fell apart again. She wiggled lower into the bed, laying her head on Carmilla's chest. She couldn't help the smile that spread across her face when she felt Carmilla press a kiss into her hair.

\--

Carmilla knew that they were both just putting off the inevitable. Laura was finding ways to keep them busy so they were never just sitting in complete silence. Carmilla welcomed the distractions, but she didn't know how much longer she could keep her thoughts at bay. There was just so much she wanted to say to Laura. Yes, she had explained herself a few weeks ago when they had dinner together, but  
Carmilla felt like that wasn't enough. If her explanations had been sufficient, then Laura wouldn't have pushed her away. She dropped the lazer pointer she had been teasing Bagheera with on the couch and tossed her head back with a groan.

Laura looked up from the stack of DVDs she had been sorting through. "Don't give me that. The only reason it's taking me so long to find a movie is because you're so picky and you said 'no' to the first ten movies I showed you." She narrowed her eyes at Carmilla.

"I don't think we can avoid this much longer, Laura."

Laura's expression changed to one of confusion, and she stood from her spot on the floor. She made her way over to the couch, stepping carefully over the DVDs strewn across the floor as she went. She sat down next to Carmilla and positioned her body so she could face her.

"What are you talking about, Carm? I wasn't aware that we were avoiding anything."  
Carmilla felt her frustration rise, but pushed it down. They didn't need to argue anymore. "Are we just going to ignore what has been happening between us? Just act like everything is normal?"

"I don't know what you-"

"Don't. Don't give me that. You needed space, I gave it to you. You're the one  that wanted Ell and I to stay at the bar last night. You're the one that wanted me to stay over, and you're also the one that wanted me in your bed. I'm sorry, but I'm a little confused about everything." Carmilla ran a hand through her hair. "Last time I saw you, you didn't want to see me anymore. I have no idea what's going on in your head, and I have no idea where this leaves me, where this leaves us."

Laura's mouth opened and closed a few times as she searched for a response. Carmilla kept quiet while she waited for Laura to talk. Finally, Laura sighed heavily, and Carmilla watched as her eyes filled with tears that were threatening to spill over at any moment.

"I've been unfair, I know. I was upset, and while I still feel like my feelings are justified, I may have overreacted. It was all just a shock to me, and it was hard for me to let it go. I just-I really don't like having things hidden from me."

"I never meant to hide anything from you. Elsie was just-she was something that I was so eager to forget about, and I did while we were together. Being with you," Carmilla voice broke, and she cleared her throat, trying to steady herself, "being with you was like a breath of fresh air. You're like the sun, Laura. Your blinding light made it so I couldn't see anyone, or anything, but you. How was I supposed to dull your shine with the darkness of my past?"

"Everyone has darkness in their past, Carm. Just because yours may be something you think will upset me," Laura shook her head and looked away from Carmilla. She wiped a tear quickly from her cheek and took a shaky breath. She stood from the couch and disappeared into her bedroom. 

Unsure of whether or not she was supposed to follow, Carmilla stayed in the living room and waited for her to return. She heard a door open, and the sound of heavy objects being shifted around floated from the open doorway. A few moments later, Laura walked back into the living room carrying a big box in her arms. 

She set it down on the coffee table in front of Carmilla and tugged the top open. “I know I haven't really talked about my mom much with you, Carm. She-it still hurts really bad to bring up, and I held a lot of anger towards her for a very long time.”

Carmilla watched Laura's shaking hands reach into the box. She pulled out a framed photo and handed it to Carmilla. A woman, Carmilla assumed was Laura's mother, smiled up at her. Laura stood beside her in graduation cap and gown, grinning from ear-to-ear. 

“She passed away a month after this photo was taken.”

Carmilla's head snapped up from the picture, and she stared at Laura. “Cupcake, I'm so-”

“It's fine,” Laura cut her off. “She found out that she had cancer when I was twelve. We spent months in the hospital, going to her treatments. So many visits to the doctors office. That's actually how everyone knows me so well at Dr. Hansford's office. She would get really sick, then get better, and then get sick again. Things were really touch-and-go for a while, but she beat it. Or-we thought she did at least.” Laura took the picture from Carmilla's hands and traced her thumb across it. “My parents lied to me, Carmilla. My mother-she went into remission, and everything was fine for a couple of years. We were able to take family vacations again, and things seemed to be getting back to normal. Mom got a really bad cold one day, and it took her a while to get over it. I was so busy with school that I barely gave it a second thought.” 

Laura took a deep shuttering breath, and Carmilla watched a tear fall down her face. On instinct, she reached up to wipe it away with her thumb. Laura leaned into her touch, seeming to calm down a little as she did.

“I was so selfish. I was too focused on getting decent grades so I could get scholarships to college. I didn't even notice that she was bad until it was too late.”

“You weren't being selfish. Scholarships paid for your college. You were helping your parents out.”

Laura shook her head slightly. “I should have known. I think, in the back of my mind, I did know she wasn't doing well. I even asked my parents about it a few times, but they told me everything was okay. I wanted so badly for that to be true, and I just wanted to be able to live my own life that I didn't pay attention to the way they told me. I found out at the end of my senior year that my mom's cancer had come back so much worse than it was before. She wasn't responding to treatments, and the doctors couldn't tell us how much time she had left. I didn't-” Laura's voice broke, and she leaned forward to put her head in her hands, “I didn't get to spend the last few years of her life with her because they didn't tell me how bad it was. I would have been there, every day, every night, but instead I was out with my friends, and going to meetings for all of the clubs I was in. I should have been there.”

Carmilla wrapped an arm around Laura's shoulders and pulled her against her body. “Laura, your parents knew what they were doing. I'm sure they doctors had told them early on that treatments weren't working, and they wanted to make sure that you got to have an amazing four years in high school.” 

“I would have rather spent time with my mom. I miss her so much, Carm. She was my best friend.” 

Carmilla rubbed small circles on Laura's back as she cried on her shoulder. She whispered words of comfort and rocked her slowly until her tears subsided. 

Laura sat up, whipping her face off as she did. She looked over at Carmilla and smiled sheepishly. “I'm sorry, I don't really open up about my mom. To anyone. It's really been years. I don't even bring her up to LaF and Perry.”

“You don't have to apologize, cupcake. Heartbreaking story aside, I'm glad that you told me about her.” 

Laura chuckled, “I know I've sort of painted her in a bad light, but she really was an amazing woman. I just-I just wanted to let you know that everyone had darkness in their past, and yours isn't enough to...what did you say? 'dull my shine'? You are such a sap, Carmilla Karnstein.”

Carmilla nudged Laura with her elbow, causing her to laugh loudly. “Oh, shut up and tell me more about your mother, cupcake.”

Laura grinned up at her and reached into the box, pulling out more photos and placing them in her lap. 

–

Laura set the last of the photos back in the box on top of the other ones. They had spent almost two hours going through the contents of the box. Laura would pull something out, a picture or a random knick knack, and she would start spouting out stories and memories. It actually felt really amazing to be able to talk about her mom, which totally surprised her. She didn't think it would be so easy, but Carmilla was just so wonderful and listened so well. Laura did end up crying a few more times, but Carmilla had been there with strong arms and a gentle touch that calmed Laura down within minutes. 

When the box was closed tightly, she carried it back to her room and returned it to its place in her closet. She came back out into the living room and sat next to Carmilla. 

“So,” she breathed, “what do you want to do now?” She tucked her legs underneath her and turned to face Carmilla.

Carmilla looked pensive for a moment before she responded. “We could watch a movie? Since we didn't really get to that earlier.”

“Movie it is!” Laura jumped up from the couch and walked to the stack of DVDs that were still strewn across her living room floor. She stopped when she got next to the movies, and turned towards her. “I may have decided against a movie.”

“Why?” Carmilla asked, quirking an eyebrow.

“It's going to take us forever to agree on something.”

“No, just pick whatever you want to watch. I'm fine with anything.”

Laura looked at her suspiciously. “Why are you suddenly fine with watching anything?”

Carmilla shrugged. “I just am.”

“You don't have to give me special treatment because I freaked out a little earlier.”

“You freaked out more than a little,” Carmilla smirked, “but that's not why I'm okay with anything. I just-I just kind of want to do whatever you want to do right now.”

Laura felt something warm building inside her chest, and she smiled at Carmilla. “Okay, well if it's my choice, I want to watch _Rent_!”

Carmilla groaned, “I knew this was a bad idea.”

“Too late, Grumpy Pants! You've already said you'd watch whatever I wanted!” She squatted down to the movies, shuffling them to the sides until she found the one that she wanted. She turned on her DVD player, put the movie in, and returned to her spot on the couch next to Carmilla.

She looked over at her expectantly, and Carmilla sighed. She lifted her arm, allowing Laura to scoot closer to her. Laura laid her head on Carmilla shoulder, grinning hugely. 

“We still aren't done talking about this,” Carmilla gestured at their bodies. “I'll give you a break so you don't lose it again, but I do want to finish what we started.”

Laura lifted her head and kissed Carmilla quickly on her cheek. “I'll do anything you want, Carm. After the movie, though.”

The menu screen came on, and she hit play on the remote. She sang along with every song, getting up and dancing to a few (earning some comical looks from Carmilla whenever she did, and positive that the pictures Carmilla took would end up somewhere on the internet later), and she was pleasantly surprised when Carmilla joined her in singing “Take Me Or Leave Me.”

When the movie was finished, Carmilla stood from the couch. “Let's go for a walk.” She held out her hand to Laura, who took it and stood up. 

“Where do you want to go?”

“Just somewhere. I'm going to go stir-crazy if I sit here any longer.”

They exited Laura's apartment, and made their way down the sidewalk. The fact that they were still holding hands had not escaped Laura, and she was wondering how long it would take Carmilla to notice. Either she did and did not mind, or she never noticed, because they held hands all the way down to the park that they used to go to. 

Carmilla led Laura over to a bench beneath the trees. She smiled over at Laura and looked up at the sky. The stars were just coming out, and Laura remembered how much Carmilla loved the night sky. 

“I'm really glad you stayed today, Carm. I've had a really great time.”

Carmilla spoke without looking at Laura, “I'm glad I stayed too, cutie.” 

They sat in silence for a few minutes, enjoying each other's company. Laura huffed out a breath and watched it disappear into the cold air in front of her. Carmilla looked over at her out of the corner of her eye.

“Problem?” she asked.

“I've missed this. I know I've said it so many times today, and last night, but I've really missed you, Carm.”

“I've missed you too, La-”

“Let me finish,” Laura said, cutting Carmilla off. Carmilla closed her mouth quickly and signaled for Laura to continue. “I overreacted, I'll admit that. I was hurt, and upset that you didn't tell me about Elsie. Everything just threw me back into those days when my parents were lying to me about my mother. It's hard for me to get over lies of any sort. I totally understand your reasoning for not telling me about her, though, so it's water under the bridge. I know things can't necessarily go back to normal, but I think that I'd like to try to get back there because we were in such a good place before. I've never been happier, and I just always felt so lucky to be with you. I'm not even sure if you've forgiven me for acting the way that I did, but I really hope that you have, or that you can I guess because I would really hate it if I just ruined everything with my stupidity and I-”

“Cupcake,” Carmilla interjected, stopping Laura's steady flow of words. She leaned towards Laura slightly, bringing her hands up to cup Laura's face. “Has anyone ever told you that you talk too much?” And then she was kissing Laura forcefully. 

Laura, completely shocked, was slow to respond. When the reality of what was happening finally hit her, she put her arms around Carmilla's neck, tangling one hand in her hair. Carmilla brought her hands down around Laura's waist, and tugged her closer. Laura turned so she was sitting sideways on the bench, and draped her legs over Carmilla's lap. They continued kissing on the bench, the air getting cooler, and the sky darkening until Carmilla pulled back, breathing heavily.

Laura leaned her forehead against Carmilla's. “Do you want to go back to my apartment?”

She barely had the question out before Carmilla responded with a quick, “yes.” They stood from the bench and walked back in the direction of Laura's apartment. Carmilla was walking briskly, and tugging on Laura's hand every few steps to make her walk faster.

When they arrived inside, Laura shut the door and turned to lock it behind them. She faced the living room again, coming almost nose-to-nose with Carmilla.

“Oh!” Laura squeaked, “Hi!”

“Hey,” Carmilla said. Laura felt chills go up her spine with how low Carmilla's voice was. It was practically dripping with want. 

Carmilla pushed her hips into Laura's, pinning her up against the door at her back. She brought their lips together in an almost painfully slow kiss. Always the eager one, Laura tried to quicken the pace, but Carmilla ignored her efforts. She grinded her hips against Laura's again, laughing at the whine that sounded from Laura's throat at the contact. She pulled back and trailed kisses up Laura's jaw. She licked Laura's ear lobe into her mouth, and tugged gently as she ran her tongue across the soft flesh. Laura groaned loudly, and ran her hands up Carmilla's sides. Her shirt lifted slightly with Laura's hands, and she slipped them under the fabric. 

“Is this okay?” she whispered into Carmilla's ear while Carmilla continued to leave marks against the delicate skin on her neck. 

Carmilla nodded in response and bit down on Laura's neck roughly, causing Laura to gasp and dig her nails into Carmilla's back.

“Too much?” Carmilla mumbled against her skin.

Laura shook her head quickly. “No, please. Keep going.” 

She felt Carmilla's smile before her mouth latched onto her neck again. The kissing continued until Laura lost all track of time. Her head was spinning, and her knees were weak when Carmilla leaned away from her. 

“I want you, Laura,” Carmilla practically growled.

Laura pushed herself off of her front door, and walked towards her bedroom. She stopped in her doorway, noticing that Carmilla hadn't followed. She looked over at her, breath hitching as she took in just how worked up Carmilla had gotten. Her hair was standing up all over, her face was flushed, and Laura could hear her harsh breathing.

She smirked over at Carmilla, “Come and get me, then.” She turned her back to the woman and jumped quickly towards her bed. Quick footsteps echoed from the living room, and Carmilla appeared in her doorway. Her eyes locked onto Laura's, and she walked seductively over to her. Laura's body was shaking with anticipation, and her fingers itched to be on Carmilla's skin.

Carmilla crawled on the bed until her hips were against Laura's. She rubbed her hands down Laura's thighs until she reached the back of her knees. Laura fought the gasp that threatened to escape her lips when Carmilla tugged both of her knees up, urging Laura to wrap her legs around Carmilla's waist. As she did, Carmilla grinded down forcefully against Laura. She moaned and pushed her lips against Carmilla's, running her tongue across her bottom lip before she tugged it into her mouth. She placed her hands on the small of Carmilla's back, and pulled the shirt up towards her head. Carmilla ducked down, allowing Laura to remove the shirt from her body. 

Carmilla sat back on her heels, running a hand through her hair, and staring down at Laura. “I don't think I've ever seen anything as beautiful as this.”

“I was literally just thinking the same thing,” Laura said. She reached her hand up and ran her fingertips across Carmilla's stomach. Carmilla shivered at the touch, and she brought her hands down to Laura's waist. She pushed her hand under Laura's shirt and moved the fabric up her body. 

“Can I-?” Carmilla started to ask.

Laura pushed herself up on her elbows, arching her back so Carmilla could remove her shirt easier. Once they were undressed from the waist up, Laura laid flat against the bed again, and Carmilla lowered herself on top of her, bringing their chests together. Carmilla shifted her weight so one of her legs was between both of Laura's. She pushed her thigh against Laura's warm center, and Laura groaned. She lifted her head off of the pillow behind her, and brushed her lips against Carmilla's. 

Carmilla trailed her hand down Laura's chest and stomach, stopping at the waistband of Laura's jeans. Laura kissed her passionately, nodding her head in response to Carmilla's silent question. Carmilla's fingers tip-toed lower down Laura's waist, and the button popped open a second after Carmilla touched it. Laura barely had time to be impressed with how quickly she had undone the button because Carmilla was slowly inching her hand under Laura's, now unbuttoned, jeans. 

Carmilla moved her head to place wet kisses down Laura's neck. She dragged her teeth across Laura's collarbone, moaning when her hand was fully cupping Laura's center through her underwear. 

“God, Laura,” she breathed out, “you're so wet.”

Laura frowned, feeling uncomfortable. “I'm sorry,” she mumbled. 

Carmilla lifted her head from Laura's neck and looked down at her. “Don't apologize, sweetheart. It's wonderful.”

Laura felt herself blush, and she leaned her head upwards to quickly kiss Carmilla. As their lips touched, Carmilla rubbed her fingers lazily against Laura underwear, and Laura threw her head back with a gasp. Carmilla chuckled, and lowered her head to Laura's chest. She rolled her tongue across Laura's erect nipple, causing Laura to moan and buck her hips, trying to gain some friction with the hand that sat against her. 

“Carm,” Laura gasped, “please.”

Carmilla hummed in response, and moved so she was kneeling between Laura's legs. She placed both of her hands at the waist of Laura's jeans, tugging them down. Laura lifted her hips off the bed to make it easier on Carmilla. Once her jeans were removed, Carmilla bent down to kiss down Laura's inner thigh. Her hands reached up to cup both Laura's breasts, thumbs circling her nipples. 

Carmilla moved her body back up against Laura's, kissing her deeply. Her hand slid down Laura's torso again, and this time, her fingers had no barrier between them and the soft skin between Laura's legs. Laura ran her tongue across Carmilla's, and they both moaned when Carmilla's fingers slipped between Laura's slick folds. 

Carmilla's fingertip slid easily up to Laura's clit, and she moaned loudly when Carmilla rubbed over it. She began making slow circles around it, steadily increasing the pace as Laura roughly kissed her. Laura's legs were shaking, and her breath was coming out in quick bursts when Carmilla stopped all movement.

“Carm, why are you-” Her words were cut short when Carmilla pushed a finger inside of her, curling slightly as she pulled back out. “Oh, fuck,” Laura moaned.

“You were saying?” Carmilla asked teasingly. 

“N-nothing. Ignore me. Keep doing what you're doing,” Laura said quickly, hands grasping Carmilla's shoulders.

Carmilla chuckled and added another finger inside of Laura, who groaned at the feeling. Carmilla adjusted the position of her hand so her palm would rub against Laura's clit whenever she pushed deeper inside of her. Laura bucked her hips, trying to match the motion of Carmilla's fingers inside of her.

“Carm, faster. Please, faster.”

“Patience, cupcake," Carmilla panted.

Laura groaned, and tried to quicken the tantalizingly slow pace by bucking her hips faster. Her efforts were in vain, however, because Carmilla's fingers kept the steady, and slow pace of pushing inside of her. 

“Carm, I need more,” Laura groaned.

Carmilla grinned at Laura, and softly kissed her. “Anything for you, Laura.” She thrust her fingers deeper inside of Laura and pulled them out quickly. She repeated the motion much faster than she had been before.

“Fuuuuck,” Laura moaned. She kissed Carmilla's lips hungrily.

Laura felt pressure building in her abdomen, and her entire body was beginning to heat up. “Carm, don't stop. Please don't stop, I'm so close.” 

Carmilla growled and pushed her hips forcefully against Laura's, causing her fingers to go deeper inside of Laura. She lowered her head to kiss along Laura's neck, whispering in her ears as she did, “You're so fucking beautiful, Laura.”

Laura whimpered and turned her face to Carmilla's. “Kiss me. I need you to kiss me.”

Carmilla moved her mouth to Laura's who responded feverishly. Her body continued to shake, and she felt all of her muscles begin to tighten. She felt ready to burst when Carmilla pushed inside of her roughly one more time, and her palm rubbed Laura's clit in just the right motion. Laura threw her head back, moaning Carmilla's name loudly into the empty room. She throbbed around Carmilla's fingers as they slowly pushed in and out of her, helping her ride out her orgasm. 

Carmilla peppered kisses across Laura's chest and down her stomach. Her fingers slowly slid out from inside of Laura. Laura watched through half-lidded eyes as Carmilla brought her fingers to her mouth, and parted her lips so she could slide them inside. Laura moaned as Carmilla's tongue flicked over her wet fingers.

“Laura,” Carmilla sighed softly, “you taste absolutely amazing.”

Laura didn't even have the energy to feel embarrassed. “Thanks, Carm,” she mumbled. 

“You're not falling asleep on me, are you cutie?” Carmilla said, sounding amused. 

“No, I just wanna close my eyes for a minute,” Laura whispered.

“You can go to sleep if you want, cupcake. I won't be angry.”

Laura felt herself drifting to sleep, and the room was silent for a while. Laura jumped awake whenever the bed beside her shifted. “Carm?” Laura said quickly.

“I'm right here, Laura,” Carmilla responded somewhere close by.

“You're not leaving, are you?” Laura asked. She was so tired and unable to open her eyes.

“I'm just going to the bathroom really quick. I'll be right back, I promise.”

“Kay,” Laura said, softly. She was already starting to drift off, and didn't even feel Carmilla climb back into the bed when she was done in the bathroom. 

–

Carmilla's eyes snapped open, and she glanced around the dark room she was in. _”Where the hell am I?”_ she thought. 

She heard soft breathing beside her, and turned her head. Laura's naked, pale back shined in the moonlight. Laura was sprawled on her stomach, both arms beneath the pillow under her head. Her lips puckered slightly, but her features were otherwise relaxed. 

Carmilla sat up and reached across Laura to the nightstand where she had placed their phones before she fell asleep. She was still topless, and she couldn't fight the gasp that escaped her lips when her breast rubbed against Laura's back. Laura groaned quietly in her sleep, and Carmilla smiled down at her. She felt around on the table for her phone, and grabbed ahold of it when her fingertips located it. She pressed the side button to check the time.

The screen flashed on, and Carmilla let out a quiet, “fuck.” She had to work the following morning, and she didn't have any of her things with her at Laura's apartment. It was starting to get pretty late, so she knew that she needed to leave, but she couldn't just walk out on Laura. 

“Cupcake,” Carmilla whispered. She placed her hand on Laura's back and traced her fingers up and down. Laura's breathing hitched, and Carmilla knew she had gotten her attention. “Laura, I've got to get home.”

Laura furrowed her brow, and her eyes slowly opened to squint at Carmilla. “What do you mean you have to get home?”

“I have to work in the morning, and I don't have any of my things here with me.”

“You can just call out of work,” Laura said sleepily. “You're sick. Sinus infection.”

“I can't do that, Laura. Come on, you're not going to make me walk myself to the door, are you?”

Laura sighed heavily, but she rolled on her side and sat up. “Fine, but I'm not putting clothes on. I hope that you can resist my hot body enough to actually get out of the door.”

Carmilla chuckled and moved to climb off of the bed. “I'm sure it'll be extremely difficult.” She used the light on her phone screen to locate her shirt and bra that had been haphazardly tossed onto the floor earlier. When she was completely dressed again, she held her hand out to naked Laura, who took it and stumbled behind her to the front door. 

Carmilla stopped before she pulled open the door, and turned to face Laura. Her eyes were closed, and she was swaying slightly. “Did you even have your eyes open while we walked out here?”

“It's my apartment,” Laura shrugged, “I think I know it pretty well. That and I trusted you not to let me bump into anything.”

Carmilla rolled her eyes, and tugged Laura against her. She ran her hands down Laura's back and nuzzled her face into her hair.

“I'll come see you the second I get off work, okay?”

“You'd better,” Laura said, opening her eyes to look up at Carmilla. 

Carmilla kissed her softly, and when she pulled back, Laura had a serious expression on her face.

“I love you, Carmilla.”

Carmilla's heart skipped what felt like 8 beats. The room swayed, and she immediately crashed her lips against Laura's. “Darling, darling,” she murmured into the kisses. “I live in you; and you would die for me, I love you so.”

Laura stepped forward and pushed her body flush against Carmilla's. They kissed until Carmilla could barely remember her own name. Her body was weightless, and she was sure that Laura's lips were her lifeline. When the pulled apart, they were both breathing heavily.

“You sure do know how to make it hard to leave, you know?” Carmilla joked. 

“I love you,” Laura said simply.

“And I love you,” Carmilla responded, her heart soaring, “but I still have to leave.”

“I love you,” Laura repeated with a shrug. It seemed to Carmilla that she was saying it in a way she would say _'okay'_. 

“So does this mean you're my girlfriend again?” Carmilla asked.

Laura rolled her eyes, but grinned and nodded her head. 

“Perfect.” She kissed Laura quickly and grabbed the door knob in her hand. “You love me?” she asked as she turned it slowly.

“I do, I love you so much, Carm,” Laura answered. 

“I love you, too, Laura. Now go get your naked butt back in bed.”

Laura yelped, and tried to cover her body with her hands. “I forgot I was naked!” 

Carmilla laughed, “Well I sure didn't.”

Laura playfully slapped her shoulder. “You're on your bike, right?” Carmilla nodded in answer, rubbing her shoulder with a hurt expression on her face. “Get home safe, okay? Even though I'll probably be asleep, will you text me when you make it?”

“Of course I will,” Carmilla kissed Laura one last time. “See you tomorrow, cupcake.”

“Bye, Carm. Love you.”

“You'd think that I'd be tired of hearing you say it already, but,” she looked thoughtful for a moment, “nope, I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing you say those words to me. I love you, too, naked girl.

Laura glared at her, and turned to walk towards her bedroom. Carmilla watched her until she disappeared inside her bedroom. She pulled open the front door and stepped into the cold hallway. She tugged her keys out of her jacket pocket, and locked the door. Humming, she made her way to the elevator and out the main door to her bike.

–

Laura was sleeping soundly when her phone started blaring Carmilla's ring tone. She blinked over at her phone, and pulled it off her nightstand towards her. 

Pressing the green button, she sleepily mumbled, “Carm, I told you to text me when you got home, not call me. I was sleeping really-”

A voice cut her off on the other line, _“Laura, it's Ell. I'm at the hospital with Carmilla. Something happened. She-she was in an accident. You need to get up here right now.”_

Laura suddenly felt wide awake, and she sat up in her bed. "What?!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize, both for giving a really good chapter with a shitty cliff hanger at the end, and also for taking so freaking long to update this damn thing. My life is getting way too crazy right now. But you don't want to hear about that! Thank you all so much for your feedback on my previous chapters! I'm really so happy that so many people are enjoying this story and sticking with me through my struggles of writing it. Which also, I don't write smut, so I'm sorry if that ^^^ was terrible. I really need to find a beta to write it for me lol. Anyway! Happy Monday!
> 
> Don't be afraid to come say hello!  
> Or ya know, if you wanna be my smut writing beta, message me.  
> Or if you just wanna chat, I like making new friends.
> 
> micanickel.tumblr.com


	16. Sitting, Waiting, Wishing

Laura rushed in through the hospital doors, frantically scanning the waiting room for someone she knew. She saw a flash of familiar blonde hair in the corner of the room, and quickly walked over. Ell's phone call kept replaying in her head. Ell hadn't been very specific on the phone, but had given Laura the gist of what happened while she threw clothes on and ran out the door.

Carmilla was maybe five minutes from her apartment. Some idiot took a turn too fast and lost control of his massive truck. He ran straight into Carmilla on her motorcycle. 

“Ell,” Laura called out as she neared the blonde, “how is she? Have you heard any news?”

Ell, who had turned at the sound of her name, somberly shook her head. “They've still got her back in the OR. The doctor came out right before they started her case, and said that he would send out nurses every half hour or so to keep us updated on her status. No one has been out since.”

“How long ago was that?” Laura asked. Her heart was beating unsteadily in her chest, and she felt dizzy.

Ell looked down at the phone she had in her hand. “A little over a half hour, so hopefully someone will be here shortly.”

“Is-is there anyone else we need to call? Family or something to be here for Carmilla when she comes out?”

“I made a few phone calls after I hung up with you, but I'm not sure if anyone will come.” Ell shrugged. “Carmilla isn't exactly-she hasn't really spoken to her family in a while.”

“How did the hospital know to call you?” Laura voiced the question that had been at the back of her mind since Ell first called her. 

“I'm her emergency contact, and everyone here sort of knows me pretty well. I used to bring food up after my shifts at the diner every night. I even went to some of the work functions that Carmilla had to attend so she wouldn't have to go alone.”

Laura nodded to acknowledge that she was listening. It was hard to focus on anything else going on around them. A baby was crying ten chairs down from them, and a woman in the corner across from them was cradling a trashcan in her lap. She was heaving every few minutes, and Laura's stomach was churning every time she did. 

“Have you heard anything more about what happened with the accident?”

“The police told me a little more while they were giving me Carmilla's things. I guess the idiot that hit her claimed he wasn't speeding around the bend in the road, but the cops quickly informed him that they could tell how fast he was going, and he backtracked and tried to blame it on the slick roads and the fog.” Ell shook her head, seemingly disgusted. “Basically he just took the turn too damn fast and came into her lane. She had absolutely no chance of getting out of the way.”

Laura felt a tear roll down her cheek, and jumped slightly. She hadn't even noticed she had been crying. She wiped it away, and tried to prevent anymore from falling. She needed to be strong. Now was totally not the time to fall apart. 

_“Girl the hell up, Hollis,”_ she thought.

She leaned back in her chair, and let her head fall against the wall with a thump. Ell sighed and leaned back in her chair as well. 

“I just wish there was something more I could do besides just sitting here. I feel so helpless, Laura.”

Laura looked over at Ell and saw tears silently streaming down her face. She reached out and wrapped her arms around Ell's neck, pulling her head to her shoulder. 

“She's going to be fine, Ell,” Laura said with as much confidence as she could muster. “Carm's a fighter. She's going to be okay.”

Laura felt Ell nod against her shoulder, and she released her tight hold she had on the girl's neck. Ell wiped the tears off of her face and gave Laura a small smile. 

“Thank you for coming up here, by the way. I wasn't sure if things had gone okay after the bar, but I thought that you'd want to be here no matter what had happened.”

“You mean Carm hasn't talked to you since we all left the bar?”

“Radio silence. I messaged her a few times earlier today, but I never got anything in response. I took that to mean one of two things: you got in a huge fight, and she was shutting herself off to the world again, or that you two realized you were perfect for each other and spent the entire day having the best make-up sex of your lives.”

Laura blushed and turned to look away from Ell while mumbling, “It was more along the lines of the second option.”

“Yes!” Ell exclaimed loudly. Laura jumped and turned to look at her. She had a triumphant expression on her face. “I knew it! I knew you two couldn't stay away from each other. You're so completely in love, it's gross.” Ell laughed, earning a few disgruntled looks from the other people in the waiting room. 

Laura smiled around the room apologetically, and turned her attention back to Ell. “We didn't spend the entire day having sex. Just-just a little bit of the night before she left to go home.”

“Sex is sex, Laura. I don't care to know the details, I'm just glad that you both finally got your heads out of your asses long enough to see that you're perfect for each other.”

“I told her I love her, Ell. How crappy is that? I tell Carmilla that I love her after we make love for the first time, and after she leaves my apartment, she gets ran over by a truck. She's never going to want to talk to me again.” Laura leaned forward and put her head in her hands. 

“Did she say it back?” Ell asked after a few moments of silence.

“What?” Laura asked, sitting up straight in her chair.

“Did she say it back?” Ell repeated. “Did she tell you that she loves you, too?”

Laura's heart warmed at the memory that was fresh on her mind. “Yes, yes she did.”

“Then she's not going anywhere. Trust me, I know Carmilla. She's not going to be able to stay away from you now.” 

Laura's eyes filled with tears, and she gave Ell a watery smile. “I sure hope you're right about that, because I don't think I'm going to be able to stay away from her now that I love her.”

“Now that you love her? Don't you mean now that you've realized that you love her?”

“I'm not sure what you're talking about,” Laura said frowning.

“Laura, you and Carmilla have been in love a lot longer than a day. You've both just been too stupid to see it. How many other break-ups have you been through that messed you up as much as yours and Carmilla's did?”

“Uhm,” Laura said thoughtfully, “zero?”

“Exactly.”

“But-no. I mean, I felt like saying to today was a little too soon, but I just couldn't help it. I felt it so strongly, and she was standing there in my living room, and-but no. It would've been too soon if we had said it any earlier.”

“Who says when it's too soon to love someone? Society? Ha. Screw them. You're in control of your feelings, Laura, not everyone else.”

Laura pouted, “But how can I be in love with someone without even realizing it myself?” 

“It's usually obvious to everyone else first. Neither one of the two in the relationship want to be the first to say it for fear of rejection.”

“Have you ever been in love, Ell?”

“Me? Never,” she shrugged. “Carmilla's would probably come close, but even then, those feelings are strictly platonic.”

“So you two have never...?”

“Never. We didn't even do the whole 'best friends learning to kiss by kissing each other' thing. Right from the start, we both just knew that we were meant to be in each other's lives, but just as friends. It was sort of an unspoken agreement.” 

“Well that's-”

“A relief?” Ell joked. “You never had any reason to be nervous about me, Hollis. I wasn't going to try to steal your girl at your wedding or anything.”

“Wedding might be a bit too-I never thought you were going to try to steal her. I would just hate to be _that girl_.” Ell shot her a confused look, and Laura quickly explained. “You know, the one that's dating your best friend that you're so in love with, and it kills you every day to see them together. I wouldn't want to hurt you like that. I like you too much, Ell.”

Ell laughed, “Well you're in luck. I have never, and definitely never will be, in love with Carmilla Karnstein. She's all yours, girl.”

Laura wrapped an arm around Ell's shoulders and pulled her close. “I'm really glad you're here. I don't know what I would have done if they had called me first. Probably had a mental breakdown or something.”

“Give yourself some more credit. You're a strong girl.”

The doors leading to the operating room opened, and a doctor stepped out. Both girls looked quickly towards the door. Ell rose to her feet, and Laura followed her lead.

“Dr. Wilde,” Ell said as she approached the doctor, “how's she doing?”

The doctor sighed and removed his scrub cap from his head. “She's stable right now. We're moving her into the ICCU. We've done all that we can do for right now. The rest is in Carmilla's hands. If she makes it through the night okay, we'll have to go back in tomorrow to do some more repairing, but I don't want to put her body through any more tonight.”

Laura felt a sob boil into her throat, and she brought a shaking hand to her mouth to try to stifle it. Ell grabbed her free hand and squeezed it tightly.

“When will we be able to see her?” Ell asked.

“It'll probably be another hour until she's moved into her room in the unit, but once she's in and settled, you will be allowed. Only two visitors at a time, though. Visiting hours will technically be over by the time she gets moved into the room, but we all love Carmilla here, so we're willing to bend a few rules.”

“That's great, thank you so much doctor.”

“I'll have the nurse come get you both whenever she's in her room.” He smiled down at the two girls in front of him and left the waiting room through the doors that went back to the operating room. 

Laura and Ell both walked back to the chairs they were previously sitting in, still gripping each other's hand. 

“You should probably call some of your friends, Laura. They would want to be here, too. Even if Carmilla acts like she doesn't care about any of them, I know she really does. Plus, I think you could use the support.”

“No, no,” Laura said, “I don't need more support. I've got enough with you here.”

“Well even if you don't ask them to come up here, I think you should still tell them. They'll be upset if you don't.”

“You're probably right, but it's so late. I don't want to bother any of-”

“Laura,” Ell interrupted, “stop being stupid. Take your phone, and call your friends before I do it for you.”

“Please don't do that. They'd be so mad at me if they found out from you.”

“Well, we could always use the excuse that you were too distraught to operate a phone,” Ell said as she pulled her own from her pocket.

“Alright, alright!” Laura said quickly. She stood up and removed her phone from her back pocket. “I'll go outside and call everyone.”

“Good, get out of my face.” Ell unlocked her phone screen, and pulled up Facebook. Laura rolled her eyes and walked out of the waiting room, making her way to the exit at the front of the hospital.

She stepped outside into the cool night air. Ignoring the other people that were milling about outside the front of the hospital, she brought her contacts up onto her screen, and scrolled to find Danny's number. She hit the call button, and listened as it rang. After five rings, it clicked over to voice mail, and she hung up. This wasn't something she wanted to leave on a message. Danny finding out would just have to wait. She pulled up LaFontaine's number next and called it. 

The phone rang two times, and the ringing cut off, leaving a groggy sounding voice saying, _“Hello?”_ in it's place. 

“Hey, LaF. It's Laura. Can you wake up Perry for me and put me on speaker phone? I need to tell the both of you something.”

 _“Sure thing, Laur,”_ LaF yawned. Laura heard some shuffling on the other line, and she could just barely make out LaF's voice whispering Perry's name. 

_“Laura, this had better be the most important thing you've ever said to us. I was having an amazing dream about this brand new cleaning product that was coming out, and LaFontaine bought me six cases. It could literally clean anything. So you'd better not just be telling us that you and Carmilla are back together because we sort of expected that to happen when you went home together after the bar, so whatever you have to say, say it quick and maybe I can fall back asleep and go back into my dr-”_

“Carm was in an accident on her motorcycle,” Laura cut Perry off. It was easiest to just blurt it out. Rip the bandaid off, right? “She left my apartment and was hit head on by a truck. I'm up at the hospital with Ell right now. We're waiting for her to come out of the OR, and then she'll be moved to their critical care unit. We'll be able to see her once they get her settled. I didn't really want to call you guys and bug you, but Ell insisted that I did. I'm really sorry that I woke you up and ruined your dream, though.”

 _“Oh my gosh, Laura,”_ Perry gasped. _“You don't have to apologize for waking us up! I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have rambled on like that. Of course you wouldn't call us unless it was very important. We'll get up, get dressed, and head up there.”_

“You don't have to do that. I just wanted to let you know what had happened. I don't want you two to get out of bed, and drive all the way up here.”

_“There's no sense in arguing, L. Perry has already gone into the bathroom to get ready.”_

Laura sighed heavily. “She's so stubborn.”

 _“Not unlike yourself.”_ LaF said.

“Hey!” Laura said. “That's not very nice.”

_“I know, I'm sorry. I'm just not fully awake right now.”_

“Ugh, go get Perry. Make her go back to bed. There's not really anything you two can do right now if you come here. We're just sitting in a waiting room..well..waiting. There's no point in dragging you two out of bed just for you to sit up here.”

_“We're coming up there no matter what, Laura. Stop arguing. Text me where we need to go. I'd better get up and get dressed before Perry comes out of the bathroom and kills me.”_

“Okay, fine. I'll see you guys in a little bit.”

 _“See you,”_ LaF mumbled as they hung up the phone.

Laura pulled up a new message to LaF, and sent the information they would need to find her and Ell inside the hospital. She pulled up her contacts again, and hit the call button on Danny's phone again. Judging from the way Perry had acted, Ell had been right to force her into calling her friends, and she really knew she needed to get ahold of Danny. The phone rang five times again before it clicked over to voice mail. 

“What the hell, Danny?” Laura mumbled. She shoved her phone back into her pocket, and made her way inside the hospital. She navigated the hallways until she found the waiting room she had left Ell in. Ell was still seated in the same chair, but her back was turned to the door, and she was holding her phone up to her ear. 

Laura caught her side of the conversation as she got closer. 

“I know, thank you for saying that. I just feel so helpless. Laura's freaking out on the inside, and she's doing a really good job holding it together, but I know she's going to fall apart when she sees Carmilla.” There was a pause as Ell listened to what the person on her phone was saying. “Well that's why I told her to call you guys. I think she needs more than just me here. Especially those ginger twins. I know they'll be good for her.” Ell stopped speaking for a moment again, and she laughed. “See that's why I called you. I knew you could make me smile. How far away are you?” Another pause. “Okay, I'll see you in a few, Danny.” 

Laura watched Ell hit the end call button on her phone, and she cleared her throat. Ell jumped slightly and turned to face her. “Oh, hi Laura. I didn't know you were back already.”

“I uh-I just walked in. Who were you on the phone with?”

“No one important. Are you ginger friends coming?”

“LaF and Perry are on their way. I don't know about Danny, though. She didn't answer the phone, and I called her twice. She must be sleeping _really_ hard.” 

“You heard me talking to her,” Ell said.

“Of course I did!” Laura said as she sat down. “What's going on with that?”

“There's nothing really going on,” Ell shrugged. “We sat up talking pretty late after we got to her apartment from the bar. I think I might like her.”

Laura smiled over at Ell. “That's awesome. It really is. Danny-she needs someone in her life like you.”

“She uh-” Ell seemed to hesitate with what she wanted to say next. “She told me that she used to have a thing for you. She thought you might have had a thing for her as well.”

“I did,” Laura confirmed. “That was before Carm came along, though. She sort of stole my heart. Swept away all the competition. All that cheesy, romantic movie stuff. It was like I couldn't see anyone but her. As soon as I fell into her lap-when I woke up-it was like a breath of fresh air. I woke up in more ways than one that night. I'm not entirely sure how I ever lived my life without her, and I don't want to find out how to do it again.”

“You're good for her, you know. I don't think I've ever seen her so happy.”

“Happy may be a bit of a stretch for her, don't you think?”

“Normally, I'd agree with you. But you can't see the way she looks at you. When you're not looking, it's like she's holding the entire world in her gaze. Like she's seeing her entire life in front of her eyes. I kind of thought it was gross at first, but then I realized that it's because I wanted someone to look at me that way.”

Laura blushed and looked away from Ell. How had she been missing it this entire time? She was so afraid of how hard she had fallen for Carmilla. She had been worried that her feelings would not be reciprocated, but all along, Carmilla had been falling for her just as much. The reality of Carmilla's current situation came crashing down on her, and the warm feelings that had been building in her heart suddenly turned cold. 

What if she didn't pull through this? What if she lost Carmilla forever? Her breathing became shallow, and her hands were shaking. 

Ell must have noticed because she quickly pulled Laura into her arms. 

“Hey, hey,” she whispered, “she'll be okay. Don't panic. You can't panic, because the only reason I've been holding it together so well is because you have. If you fall apart, I will. That's not something anyone here needs to see.”

“I'm sorry,” Laura gasped. “I just got so scared, Ell. I can't lose her. She's-she's everything to me.”

“I know, I know.”

The two girls sat, holding each other in silence until Laura's breathing evened out. Footsteps neared them, and both girls turned to see who had entered the waiting room.

Danny, LaF and Perry stood before them. Three beacons of light in a world darker than either had realized. Laura stood from her chair and fell into Perry's waiting arms. LaF wrapped their arms around her from behind while Danny took Ell into her arms. 

LaF pulled away and took Laura's, now empty, chair. “Have you heard anything else about her?”

Ell stepped back from Danny, and cleared her throat. “No one else has come out to say anything to us about her. We're just waiting to be taken back to her room.”

“Then let's all wait together.” Perry sat two seats down from LaF, and Laura took the one between the two. Danny sat down beside Perry with Ell on her other side. Laura didn't miss that Danny held Ell's hand in her own. 

The group waited in silence. Every time the doors to the operating room opened, five heads snapped to see who was coming out. The crowd in the waiting room slowly thinned out as more people left to go see their relatives coming out of surgery.

After what felt like forever, the doors opened, and a nurse walked towards them.

“You're here for Karnstein?” she asked when she stood in front of them.

Laura stood from her chair. “Yes, we've just been waiting to be taken to her room.”

“She's on her way there now. There were..complications when she was in recovery, but she's stable again. I can take you to the waiting room for the ICCU now if you'd like.”

“Yes, yes we'd like to go please,” Laura quickly.

“We'll be going out through the main hospital. It's much faster. Follow me please.” The nurse walked to the exit of the waiting room, and the five quickly followed behind her. She led them through so many hallways, that Laura lost count. Finally, they came to a small room with about twenty chairs. The nurse leading them stopped and gestured for them to enter the room. “The nurse taking care of Carmilla will come get you once they get her settled. It shouldn't be too long.”

Perry, LaF, and Danny walked to empty chairs in the room while Laura and Ell stayed with the nurse.

“Can you tell us what the complications were while she was in recovery?” Laura asked.

“I should only release that information to family members,” the nurse said hesitantly.

“We are her family, and I'm her emergency contact. You can tell me anything.” Ell said confidently.

The nurse eyed Laura before she spoke. “There was some internal bleeding. Apparently one of her internal sutures busted, and they had to go back in to repair it. She's not in great shape, so you really should prepare yourself when you go in to see her. It's lucky that she was wearing her helmet, but even that can only protect so much.”

“What is the extent of her injuries?” Laura asked.

“Broken ribs, all on the right side, a few on the left. Her right arm and leg were both broken, almost beyond repair. She's going to be in a cast for a very long time, and she'll need a lot of therapy to be able to walk again. Her spleen ruptured, so that's gone. There was a lot of internal bleeding, but everything was fixed as far as that goes. They did some MRI's on her brain, but it'll be hard to tell if there will be any lasting effects from any brain injuries until she wakes up. That's all I really know. If she makes it through the night, her prospects will be a lot better. It's always the first night that makes the difference.”

“Thank you, thank you so much for telling us all of that. The doctor didn't really go into specifics earlier. He just told us that she was stable,” Ell said.

“I think at the time, that's all he really could say.”

“I thought so, but we appreciate you telling us, nonetheless.”

The nurse nodded at them, and left the doorway of the waiting room. Laura and Ell turned to take their places in the empty chairs with Perry, LaF, and Danny. Ell sat beside Laura this time, and the five all clasped their hands together. 

Ten minutes later, a nurse walked in the room. “Karnstein?” she called out. Laura and Ell jumped from their chairs and rushed over to her.

“Yes, that's us. We're here for Karnstein,” Laura said breathlessly.

“She's all settled into her room now.” She eyed the three still sitting by the chairs Laura and Ell had just left. “I can only take two of you back right now, though. It's past visiting hours, but since Carmilla is one of our own, we're going to make an exception.”

Ell turned to the three sitting down. “Only two can go back right now. Are you okay with just Laura and I for now?”

Danny nodded while Perry spoke. “Absolutely. Get back there and see her. Let her know that we're all out here, rooting for her.”

The nurse seemed to take that as a good enough answer, and she walked out of the waiting room. Laura and Ell quickly followed behind her. She led them through a set of automatic doors, and into a wide, round room. There was a massive counter in the middle with computers scattered across it. Laura caught a glimpse of multiple green lines going across two of the screens before the nurse walked into one of the rooms across from the counter. 

Laura took a deep breath and looked over at Ell. “Are you ready for this?”

“As ready as I'll ever be,” Ell said. “I'm here, don't forget that. I'm here with you.”

Laura reached out and took Ell's hand in her own. “You have no idea how glad I am that you're here.”

The girls turned back to the curtain that swung in front of them. They stepped forward at the same time, and Laura pulled the curtain open. What she saw, took her breath away. 

Carmilla laid in a bed among a pile of blankets and pillows. Her leg was held up off of the bed by sling, and her right arm was in a bright, white cast. There were wires and tubes coming from so many places, and Laura lost track of where all of them were leading. Bruises peaked out of the top of the hospital gown that they had her in. Laura could just barely seem her left arm atop the blankets. The entire arm was covered in scratches, and deep purple bruises. Her face was untouched, save for a long scratch across her chin. 

“Oh, Carm,” Laura breathed out. She rushed around the bed, and took hold of the hand that was on top of the blankets.

The nurse stood awkwardly at the foot of the bed. “Just try not to bump anything, please. If you need anything from one of us, press the red button on her remote to the TV. We'll come in.” She walked out of the room, leaving Laura and Ell alone with Carmilla.

Ell walked slowly over to Carmilla's right side. “Hey, loser,” she choked out. “You're looking pretty rough, and that's saying something. You normally look like crap, but this is just-” Her voice broke as she started crying. “How could you let this happen, Mircalla? You and that stupid motorcycle. You're supposed to be more careful, and now look where you are.” 

Laura reached across Carmilla's body and took Ell's hand. “Hey, I'm here. It's going to be okay, remember? She's going to be fine.” Laura turned to look down at Carmilla. “You're going to be fine, Carmilla. Do you hear me? You have to be fine, okay? I didn't tell you that I love you for you to go and just-for you to go and just leave me. I need you, so you can't leave me. Pull through this.”

Ell squeezed Laura's hand and stepped away from the bed. Two chairs sat in the corner of the room, and Ell dragged them both over to the side of the bed. She placed one beside Laura and pulled the other one to the opposite side of the bed. Laura sat down in the chair, and took Carmilla's hand in her own again. Carmilla's fingers were ice cold, and Laura placed her other hand on top of them, trying to bring some warmth into them. 

“It's so weird, seeing her like this. So lifeless. It's almost like she's just sleeping. If you don't pay attention to her beat up body, she really could be,” Ell said, almost to herself.

“Helmets truly are amazing things,” Laura said. 

Ell nodded in agreement, and leaned back in the chair. “She's going to be fine, Laura. I know she will be. She'll beat this.”

Laura's eyes filled with tears, and she blinked them away. “Are we just supposed to sit here?”

“We can talk to her, I guess? I've never really been in this situation.”

Laura laughed quietly. “Neither have I.”

“We'll take turns. I'll go first,” and with that, Ell started talking. She told stories about hers and Carmilla's childhood. Most were stories that Laura had never even heard before. She felt herself start to nod off, and she positioned herself so her head was laying on the bed beside hers and Carmilla's hands. She drifted to sleep, listening to Ell talk about the time that her and Carmilla had gone skinny dipping at their neighborhood pool in December.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's the hospital chapter. So much dialogue which absolutely kills me to write. I like building more on Laura and Ell's relationship, though. Best friend and girlfriend really need to help each other out in this situation, and I think it's great that they can lean on each other. Also, I kind of like the idea of Ell and Danny. It could be terrible, but oh well. I'm already in too deep with it. I've kind of decided to make this a two-part series, but I'm not entirely sure if that's the route I want to go. Probably, though. WE'LL SEE! Also, I haven't read through this like I normally would before posting because I'm super tired, and I have to be up in five hours for work! Yay me! I apologize for any massive typos. Anywayssssss. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!!
> 
> As always, don't be afraid to stop by and say hello!!  
> micanickel.tumblr.com


	17. Any Day Now

“I don't care how many visitors are allowed back at a time! She's my sister, and you're going to take me to see her!”

Laura's eyes snapped open, and she sat up with a groan. Her neck was stiff from sleeping in such an awkward position, and her back hurt from hunching over towards the bed. She stretched in her chair, and turned her gaze towards the curtain that was pulled shut across Carmilla's doorway. Ell was standing at the opening of the curtain.

“Pst, Ell,” Laura whispered, “what's going on? Who's out there?”

Ell turned her back to the swaying curtain and walked over to Laura. “I assume you haven't had the pleasure of meeting Carmilla's older sister, Mattie.”

Laura shook her head. “Carm's talked about her a few times, but it didn't seem like they were close.”

“You're right about that. They're not close at all.” Ell pulled her chair around so she could sit next to Laura. “As far as I know, they haven't spoken in months.”

“How did she find out what happened?”

Ell looked down at her hands that were twisting in her lap. “I may have called her while you were asleep. I thought she needed to know.”

Laura reached over and took Ell's hands in her own. “You were right to call her. She's Carmilla's family. She needs to be here.”

The arguing outside of the room seemed to come closer, and both girls looked at the curtain.

“I'll go out in the waiting room so she can come in here. Mattie's very persistent. She's not going to stop until they let her in, and it's just going to cause too much trouble. They're already doing us a huge favor by letting us in here when it's not even visiting hours.”

Laura grabbed Ell's arm as she made to stand from the chair. “You're just-you're just going to leave me in here with her? Ell, don't. I'll go in the waiting room.”

“Laura,” Ell said soothingly, “it's going to be fine. Mattie's really not that bad. I'll introduce the two of you, and then leave. I'm not letting you leave Carm's side just so you can avoid awkward silences with her sister.”

Laura sighed and sat back in her chair. “Fine. Bring her in here.”

Ell chuckled softly. “Don't be so enthusiastic. You might wake up Carmilla.”

Laura glared at Ell as she walked across the room to the swaying curtain. She pulled it aside quickly, and stepped out into the nurses station in the middle of the unit. Laura heard voices coming from the other side of the curtain, but they were too quiet for her to understand. 

She looked over at Carmilla and frowned. “I should be mad at you, you know? There were so many opportunities for you to introduce me to you sister. Not that we were ever really around her, but still. You could have set something up. I wouldn't be sitting here, panicking if you had.” Laura reached over and brushed a stray hair out of Carmilla's face. “But how can I be mad at you when you look so peaceful and beautiful? Just don't leave me here alone with her for too long, okay?” 

“Laura,” Ell's voice sounded from the doorway, “this is Mattie, Carmilla's sister. Mattie, this is Laura.”

Laura stood quickly from her chair and stepped towards the doorway. The woman standing slightly behind Ell was wearing a dress that looked like it cost more than Laura's entire apartment complex. She was beautiful, even Laura's anxiety couldn't force her to deny that. 

“Hi, Mattie,” Laura said as she stretched her hand out. “It's so wonderful to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you from Carm.” 

Mattie glanced down at Laura's hand, but didn't take it with her own. “I'm afraid I can't say the same about you, Gidget. I haven't heard anything about you, so I'm not sure whether I'm happy to be meeting you or not. Considering the circumstances that are forcing me to meet you, I'm going to go ahead and say that it's not exactly wonderful.”

“Well-well no-no I guess wi-with the circumstances-” Laura's voice trailed off. The look on Mattie's face told Laura that she would turn her into nothing more than a red splotch on the floor without batting an eyelash. 

“So, now that you two have been introduced, I'm going to head out to the waiting room before Carm's nurse kills me. Have fun!” Ell turned and walked away from the room, leaving Laura and Mattie standing on either side of Carmilla's bed.

Laura realized that her hand was still stretched across Carmilla's still body, and she lowered it to her side. “Uhm, here.” She bent over and picked up Ell's chair so she could move it to the side of the bed where Mattie was. “This was Ell's chair, but-but she's not in here anymore so-”

“You're too twitchy for me, darling. Set the chair down, and go sit down in your own.”

“Right, of course.” Laura placed the chair down next to Mattie and quickly moved to sit in her own. 

The room quickly dropped into the most uncomfortable silence that Laura had ever experienced. She was busying examining her fingernails when Mattie finally spoke. 

“I told her to get rid of that wretched death trap ages ago.”

Laura's head jerk up, and Mattie was staring over at Carmilla. The previous expression on her face had been exchanged for one of devastation. 

“She loved it,” Laura shrugged, “and I won't lie and tell you that I hated riding it. It was fun and kind of freeing. Did she ever take you out on it?”

Mattie glanced over at Laura. “I only ever rode on that infernal thing one time. It was enough to make me never want to get on it again.”

“You didn't enjoy yourself, I assume?”

“I think darling Mircalla made sure that I wouldn't enjoy myself so I wouldn't ask her for another ride on it. She took turns way too quickly for my liking, and drove like a pissed off teenager the entire time.”

Laura laughed loudly causing Mattie to glare over at her. “I'm sorry,” Laura said when her laughter finally subsided, “but that's just how Carm drove her motorcycle. I don't think she was doing it to frighten you. She drove like that with me on the back, and I don't think she'd want to keep me from riding. We used to take it out all the time.”

“Used to? Why do you say that like it's a distant memory?”

“We-Carm and I had actually split up for about a month. It's a long story, so I won't bore you with the details-”

“I appreciate that,” Mattie mumbled under her breath.

Laura smiled at her. “We made up, though. She had actually just-she was heading home from my apartment when she-when all of this-”

“Oh, please don't tell me you're going to start crying. I'm not going to sit here while you blubber like an idiot over my sister's body.”

Laura was so shocked at Mattie's outburst that the tears she felt forming in her eyes disappeared quickly. “Of course, I'm sorry. I just really hate that this happened to her. I can't help but feel responsible. She was leaving my apartment. Maybe if she had just stayed, if I had asked her one more time to stay. Or if she had never been over at my apartment in the first place. Maybe she'd be okay.”

“It isn't anyone's fault, dear. Carmilla is stubborn, and she's always going to do what she wants no matter what anyone else tells her. Like I said before, I've been telling her for years to get rid of that ridiculous motorcycle but she absolutely refused. She claimed that she looked way too dangerous and 'cool' on it. Something about it helping her pick up the ladies,” Mattie waved her hand dismissively through the air. “If she wanted to be at your apartment, she was going to be, and if she needed to be home, then she was going to leave. Nothing you could have said or done was going to stop her. So stop with all of the guilt. It's not going to help her at all.”

“I wish I knew what would help her. I can't stand just sitting here,” Laura sighed heavily and sat back in her chair. She looked over at Carmilla, tears forming in her eyes once again. 

“There's not much you can do besides sit there, Gidget,” Mattie said in a voice that was almost comforting. “I'm sure she knows you're here, and that's enough.”

Laura turned her watery gaze to Mattie. _“Are her eyes a little glassy, or is that just a trick of the light?”_ Laura wondered. “Thank you for saying that,” Laura said quietly.

Mattie rolled her eyes, and Laura was sure that it had been a trick of the lighting. There was no trace of tears. Mattie reached forward and took Carmilla's hand in her own. Laura did the same with the other hand, and the girls fell into a somewhat more comfortable silence than the one they experienced before. 

–

“How's our girl doing today, Laura?”

Laura turned from the stool she was balancing on just as Mattie walked through the doorway to Carmilla's room. She had been removing the Christmas lights they had strung around the room a week earlier. She carefully climbed down from the stool, and walked over to Mattie, giving her a quick hug. 

“She's doing better. The doctors said that there seems to be more brain activity on her scans, and she even squeezed my hand earlier this morning.”

“Well that's good news about her scans, but darling, you know she's been reacting to pressure for a few days now. That doesn't necessarily mean anything.”

“You're always such a Debbie Downer, Mattie. I'm going to take all of this as excellent news and choose to believe that she's going to wake up any day now.”

“You've been saying that for three weeks now,” Mattie said frowning. 

“Well one of us has to be optimistic!” Laura shoved the strand of lights she held in her hand into a bag that held the rest of the Christmas decorations that had been around the room. “She's had a really fantastic day today. The nurses came in after she got back from her tests and helped me wash her hair and give her a sponge bath, so she's all clean and pretty.” Laura turned to face Carmilla's sleeping form. “Not that you're not always beautiful, Carm, but it was definitely time for you to get your hair washed, you have to admit that.”

Mattie walked over to Carmilla's side, and bent to kiss her on the forehead. “You do smell much better, Mircalla.”

Laura grinned. “I told you she'd agree with me, Carm!”

Talking to Carmilla's lifeless form had been somewhat awkward at first, but Laura had gotten used to it over the last few weeks. The doctors couldn't guarantee that she even heard anything that anyone was saying to her, but Laura believed that she could. After all, it was Laura's voice that Carmilla first responded to. 

It had happened a week after the accident, and they had just transferred Carmilla into her own private room. The doctors hadn't been giving them any good news, just telling them that nothing was changing, and Laura had been devastated. After everyone left besides Mattie and Laura, she ended up breaking down in front of Mattie. Everything felt hopeless, and she was starting to lose faith that Carmilla was ever going to come back to her. Mattie, of course, was abrupt and told her to stop acting like a child. Laura had stifled her remaining sobs, and leaned in to Carmilla's ear. 

“I can't lose you, Carm. I love you too much. Please come back to me.” 

It had been at that moment that Carmilla's fingers twitched in Laura's palm. Whether it all happened by chance or not, Laura had taken that as a sign. She wasn't giving up on Carmilla, no matter how long it took. She knew there was no way Carmilla would leave her. 

“How long has it been since you've been home?” Mattie's voice interrupted Laura's thoughts. 

Laura bit her lip in hesitation. “I've been home this week.”

“It's Saturday, Laura. When exactly did you go home last?” Mattie crossed her arms and looked at her fiercely.

“I may have not left since I came Monday morning,” Laura mumbled.

“Laura Hollis! How many times have I told you that it's not going to do any good for you to live her and completely forget about your life outside of this hospital?”

“It's fine! I'm fine!” Laura said frantically. “My boss has been sending me assignments through email, and LaF and Perry have Bagheera at their house. I have no reason to leave here. There's a perfectly good shower in the bathroom, and I pack enough clothes to get me through.”

“When I left here Monday morning, you promised me that you would go home, and let other people sit with her.”

“Other people have sat with her. I've just sat with her with them.” 

“Laura-”

“No, Mattie. I can't leave. I feel too anxious when I'm away. What if she wakes up, and I'm not here? What if something happens to her while I'm gone? I can't take the risk.”

Mattie gave Laura a calculating look, and was silent for a moment. She sighed, and dropped her bag into the empty chair beside Carmilla's bed. “I understand, I don't like being away either.”

“Some of us aren't lucky enough to be able to work from a laptop. Carm understands that,” Laura said. “At least you stop by when you have the chance.” 

“Judging by your tone, I'm guessing our darling brother, William, hasn't been by again?” Mattie asked. 

“Just those two times. I really thought they were closer than this. I thought he'd be here so much more.”

“William just isn't good with this kind of thing. If he doesn't know how to handle a particular situation, he avoids it as much as he can. That doesn't mean he doesn't care for her, though. I'm honestly surprised that he's shown up twice.”

Laura threw her hands up in the air angrily. “I'm not good with this either, but I'm here! None of my friends know what to do or say when they show up. They look at me like I'm a freak whenever I talk to her, well everyone except for LaF. They talk to her more than I do when they come to visit.”

“Yes, that mad-scientist friend of your is definitely on the strange side. And their jumpy little girlfriend, I haven't quite figured her out. It always seems like she's hiding something.”

Laura laughed, “That's just how Perry is. She's like a mother hen, always so nervous. She likes to keep busy, and when she can't-well-she gets a little loopy.”

“Loopy isn't exactly the word I would use,” Mattie said. 

“I thought you liked her!” Laura said.

“I tolerate all of your little friends, but that doesn't mean that I like them. I'm here for Carmilla, and I'm here for you.” She seemed to add the last part on as a second thought, but it still made Laura smile.

“I'm glad you're here, and I'm glad that you tolerate my friends, Mattie.”

“Enough with the bonding, what sort of mindless nonsense is on the television tonight?”

“You're planning on staying for a while?” Laura asked excitedly.

“Well, I haven't been here all week. I figured I could spare a few hours to visit with my sister and her girlfriend.”

“Did you hear that, Carm?” Laura asked, “Movie night with Mattie!”

“I never said anything about a movie ni-”

Laura stuck her bottom lip out as far as it would go. “Carm and I always watch movies on weekends. I even brought my DVD player from home last week so we could carry on with our tradition.”

Mattie sighed and sat down in the chair beside Carmilla's bed. “Fine, but I get to pick what we watch.”

“That's okay with me! It was Carm's choice tonight, but I think she'd be willing to let you pick something since it's your first movie night with us.” Laura walked over to the suitcase that sat on the other chair in the room. She dug through her clothes until she found the stack of movies she had packed earlier that week. “Here are you choices!” She handed them to Mattie and crawled onto the cot that was on the opposite side of Carmilla's bed. 

Mattie looked through the movies that Laura had handed her, groaning at the choices, before settling on one five minutes later. She put it into the DVD player, pulled the extra chair in front of her so she could prop her feet up, and settled in to watch the movie. Laura took Carmilla's hand in her own and leaned across the pillow that was placed between her cot and Carmilla's hospital bed. She kissed Carmilla on the cheek.

“I can almost pretend like you're awake, Carm,” she whispered into her ear. “If I just sit back and watch the movie, it's almost like we're at my apartment on my couch, and Mattie just happened to stop by. We'll do that soon, okay? I promise.”

Carmilla's fingers twitched against the back of Laura's hand, and Laura felt her heart swell. She moved back onto her cot and leaned against the pillows she had propped against the wall. Her thumb absently traced circles on Carmilla's hand, and she felt more relaxed than she had in weeks. 

–

“Wake up, sunshine!”

Laura groaned and buried her head into her blanket more, trying to block out the sudden blinding light that glared into the room. 

“Five more minutes,” she said into her pillow.

“Nope! Can't allow that, L. We're breaking you out of this joint today.”

Laura's head slammed onto the firm mattress of the cot she was laying on when her pillow was ripped from underneath her head. 

“Hey! What the-!” She threw the covers off of her head and sat up, glaring around the room. 

LaF was standing on the opposite side of Carmilla's bed. Their arms were held behind their back suspiciously. 

“Give me back my pillow, LaF, or I swear I am going to-”

“What exactly do you think you're going to do, dear?” Mattie's voice cut Laura off. She stepped around LaF, who grinned mischievously. “They're here on my orders. After our little movie night Saturday, I decided that it's time for you to get out of here and get some fresh air.”

“I can't leave,” Laura insisted. “No one is here to sit with Carm, and I can't leave her alone.”

“I'm here,” Mattie said simply.

“Mattie,” Laura began, “it's Monday, and I know for a fact that Monday is your busiest day of the week, so there's no way you can afford to take off from work.”

“I can, and I did. Now get out of here. Go home, take a shower, put on some clothes that haven't been inside a suitcase for a week, and then, please have some fun with your friends.”

“I have an article I have to write for the paper, and The New York Times emailed me last week about a story they'd like for me to cover. I can't exactly afford to take the day off, even if you can,” Laura argued.

“Everything has been handled. I spoke with your boss. She completely agrees that you need a day off-a real day off, Laura. Not one that you spend holed up in this stuffy hospital room.”

“But-”

“I don't see any sense in arguing with her, Laur. Perr and I both told her last night that you weren't going to come quietly, but she insisted.”

Laura looked from LaF to Mattie and down to Carmilla. “I can't leave her,” she said quietly.

Mattie walked swiftly around Carmilla's bed and sat at the foot of Laura's cot. She grabbed Laura's arms and pulled on them until she was sitting right in front of her. 

“You have absolutely nothing to worry about. She's not going anywhere, and I'm not going to leave her for a second. If anything happens with her, absolutely anything, you'll be the first person I call.” She spoke in a quiet voice, and Laura suspected it was so LaFontaine wouldn't hear anything she was saying. Mattie liked to keep up her haughty, non-caring attitude in front of anyone but Laura. “Plus, William even said he might stop by.”

Laura perked up a little at those words. “He did? You're not just saying that so I'll go?”

“I can even show you the messages if you'd like,” Mattie said as she made to pull her phone from her purse.

“You don't have to do that, I believe you.” Laura sighed and moved to stand from the cot. “Fine, I'll go. I just need to freshen up in the bathroom first.”

“No need for that, L. I'm taking you to your apartment before we go do anything. Just grab your stuff, and let's go.” LaF moved to the open suitcase on the chair and started tossing Laura's things into it.

Laura walked into the bathroom and pushed all of her toiletries into the small dufflebag she had sitting behind the toilet. When she walked out of the bathroom, LaF was forcing the zipper around her closed suitcase. They seemed to have just thrown everything inside, which was making it difficult to completely close the suitcase.

Once it was fully zipped, they turned to Laura, grinning. “Ready?”

“Yeah, let me just say goodbye.” Laura shuffled over to Carmilla's side and bent down next to her ear. “I'll only be gone for a few hours, so try not to miss me too much, okay?” She kissed Carmilla's cheek and squeezed her hand, waiting for the slight movement of Carmilla's fingers against her palm. Sure enough, Carmilla's middle finger moved just barely enough for Laura to notice, and she took that as a sign that Carmilla was telling her it was okay for her to leave. 

She stood up straight and turned back to Mattie. “I suppose you think I should be thanking you for kicking me out?”

Mattie rolled her eyes and fixed Laura with a piercing look. “You may not be thanking me right this second, darling, but you will when you come back all nice and refreshed.”

Laura rolled her eyes back at Mattie, “We'll see about that.” She tried to give her just as much attitude back, but couldn't fight the smile that was slowly forming across her face. “I'll see you later.”

LaF stepped out into the hallway, and Laura followed them. As she pulled the door closed behind her, she overheard Mattie talking to Carmilla. “Now that she's gone, let's find something better to watch than those awful musicals she had on the other night. I don't see how you put up with her, Mircalla.”

Laura's smile was fully spread across her face as she shut the door completely and hurried after LaF to exit the hospital. 

“So where are we going exactly?” Laura asked when she caught up to LaF.

“I'm not exactly sure,” they answered. “She just showed up at the our house this morning, banging on the door. Almost gave Perry a heart attack. But she said that I had to come with her to get you out of this,” they stood up taller and threw their shoulders back, “miserable, depressing, smelly old hospital.” 

Laura giggled at the imitation of Mattie. “She doesn't talk like that.”

“Maybe not to you, L, but she's scary. Even Perry is scared of her.”

“Perry is not scared of her! Perry never backs down from her, and gives her attitude right back!”

LaF looked over at Laura seriously. “You don't see Perry after any of their little confrontations. She's so worried that Mattie is going to do some crazy voodoo on her and possess her.”

“I think that's a bit dramatic, LaF.”

“Okay, so maybe Perry didn't say those exact words, but she does think Mattie's capable of ripping someone's head off and not thinking twice about it.”

Laura shrugged. “She probably is, but she's not going to do that to any of us. She's got a weird way of showing it, but she cares, especially about Carmilla, and she's not going to do anything that she thinks will upset Carmilla.”

“I just think it's best that we stay on her good side.”

“I thought you, of all people, would be willing to see the best in her.”

“I'm not saying that I don't. I can see that she cares about Carmilla. It's obvious that she cares about you, as well, or she wouldn't have shown up at the house this morning. Which, that raises another question, how the hell did she find out where we live? We've never talked about it before to her. I didn't even think about that until just now. Maybe she does know some sort of voodoo magic, and-or wait! Maybe she's a vampire and has superhuman senses and followed our scent to our house! Perry did leave her jacket in Carmilla's room the other night. She totally found it, and used that to find the house! That makes so much sense. She's never been to the hospital during the day, and the few times she's been there whenever the nurses would come in to draw Carmilla's blood for lab work, she gets all weird and has to shut herself in the bathroom. I bet it's so she doesn't smell the blood, go all crazy, and eat her sister! I'm so telling Perr all of this when we get to our house, you can't let me forget, Lau-Laura? Where-?”

Laura heard LaF finally stop talking, and she climbed out of the car. “You really don't pay attention well when you go on one of your rants. I've been in the car since you theorized that Mattie can do magic.”

“So you didn't hear my other theory?” LaF asked sadly.

“Oh, I did. I think it's even crazier than Mattie doing magic. She's not a vampire, LaF. They don't exist. She just works super long hours during the day, and hates blood. She doesn't even like her own. Something about the smell of it. Now get in the car, and take me home so I can shower.”

“I thought it sounded perfectly logical,” LaF mumbled as they climbed into the drivers' seat. 

–

An hour and a half later, Laura had showered, and washed some clothes before packing a new suitcase to take to the hospital when they returned later that day. 

“Perry's at work so we can go to the house without her getting angry with us for being too noisy. I've got this really awesome experiment I'm working on. I just take gasoline and-”

“LaF,” Laura cut them off, “I don't think Perry would be very happy if she got off work, and we had burnt half of the house down.”

LaFontaine frowned in their seat. “I'm never going to live that down, am I?”

“If you're referring to the time you set a bomb off in your kitchen, and had to have half of the house rebuild? No, you're never going to live that down. Plus, the memory of your scorched and eyebrowless face after everything happened is far too fresh in my mind.”

“It was three years ago, Laura. How can that possibly be considered 'fresh'?”

“I'm just never going to be able to forget it. You were so panicked when you called me,” Laura started laughing hard at the memory that was playing in her mind. _“Laur, I did something terrible, and I need you to get over here before Perry comes home in an hour.”_

LaF's frown deepened, and their face turned a shade of red. “I thought she was going to murder me, I needed a witness.”

“She was so angry with you, but when you told her that you had figured out how to complete that-that-thing you were working on, her anger just vanished, and she said that it would all get fixed.”

“It was just gas that had built up, and I hadn't realized it because I was too focused on the task at hand. Everything worked out in the end. My company paid to get the house fixed since the only reason I was working from home was because my lab wasn't finished yet.”

“And it was so fun helping you guys pick out how you were going to decorate your essentially brand new kitchen!” Laura enthused.

“Yeah, yeah I guess that part was pretty sweet,” LaF said, seeming to cheer up slightly.

“Remember those horrible tiles that Perry wanted to put on the walls? Those were so gross.”

“What did they have on them again? Chickens?”

“No, tiny little peacocks. I don't even know where she found them, but leave it to Perry to find the worst tile known to man and try to cover the kitchen walls with them.”

“Tile doesn't even belong on a kitchen wall. Maybe as a backsplash or something, but not the entire freaking wall. I think I'd have gone crazy by now if my kitchen walls were covered in peacocks. Just having them stare at me all the time,” LaF zoned out as they stared out the windshield.

Laura snapped her fingers in front of their face. “Earth to LaF! We don't need to get in an accident, and end up in the hospital with Carmilla.”

LaF shook their head vigorously from side-to-side. “Right, of course. I'm just glad we were able to talk her out of those.”

“You and me both,” Laura agreed. 

They pulled up outside of LaF and Perry's house a few minutes later, and climbed out of the car. 

“What do you want to do while we're here?” Laura asked. “I don't want to blow anything up,” she said quickly.

“I don't even have anything here to blow up, anyway. It's all at the lab. We can play some video games? I don't think you've heard our new surround sound. Perry hates it, but I couldn't help myself when I saw it in the store. It definitely makes playing Super Smash Bros. an experience.”

“As if it's not already! Let's go play. I've been dying for a rematch anyway,” Laura said as she hurried behind LaF to the front door.

“You know you can't beat me, Frosh. You're just not as experienced as I am.”

“We'll see about that, Ginger One. Prepare to eat your words.”

“Pulling out Carmilla's trash talk, huh? I see how it is.” LaF pushed the front door open and rushed inside. Laura was close at their heals. 

–

A loud knock sounded at the front door, but Laura was too focused on the game to pay any attention. “No, no no! Don't you dare fall off-I swear to-YES!”

“Don't expect that to last long, L. I've got my secret weapon coming right up!”

“Secret weapon? You don't have a secret weapon. You've literally been playing with Jigglypuff for the past hour. I know all of your special moves.”

“I've been playing with Jigglypuff because it's smart to get used to a character and not switch around like you do every game.”

“I just like to keep you on your toes,” Laura said as she mashed the buttons on her controller. 

“Uhm, hey guys,” Danny's voice sounded from behind the couch. 

The two dropped their controllers as they jumped and whipped around. “Oh! Hey Danny!” Laura squeaked.

“We didn't know you were here,” LaF said.

“I knocked on the door, and no one answered. I could hear Laura yelling, so I tried the knob, and it was unlocked. I hope that's okay.”

“Totally,” LaF said. “Oh sweet! You brought pizza!”

“Yes! Danny, you are a life saver, I've been starving,” Laura twisted so she was kneeling on the couch and grabbed a box of pizza from Danny's arms. She turned back around and set it on the coffee table. She had a piece shoved in her mouth before Danny even made it around the couch with the other box of pizza. 

“Boy, you weren't kidding, Hollis. You seem like you were starving.”

“'osital ood id disdustin'” Laura said around a mouthful of pizza.

Danny made a face at her, and reached forward to grab a piece of pizza from the open box. 

“She never leaves the hospital,” LaF explained, “so she's literally just been eating shitty hospital food. We sometimes bring dinner up there if we come to visit after work, but that's only a few times a week.”

Danny turned to Laura. “How is she doing? Anything new going on? Forward progress?”

Laura shook her head. “She's still squeezing my hand almost any time I talk to her, but the doctors don't seem to be too excited about that. They're such skeptics. I know she can hear me.”

“If you're talking to her, and she reacts, she can hear you, Laura. Don't lose your faith in that,” Danny said reassuringly. 

“Thank you, Danny. I'm not letting them change my mind about thinking she's responding to me.” 

Danny smiled at Laura, and the three ate their pizza while they caught on things that were happening outside the hospital. 

–

Danny and LaFontaine were in the middle of a brawl when Laura's phone started ringing. She dug it out of her purse, and saw Mattie's name on the screen.

“Hold on, guys, it's Mattie.”

“Die! Die you stupid-oh sorry, Hollis,” Danny smiled sheepishly at Laura who was holding the phone to her ear.

“Hey, Mattie. I'm going to be heading back up there in another hour or so. How's she doing?”

_“I don't want to alarm you, Gidget, but something happened, and you might want to get up here sooner than an hour.”_

“What? What do you mean something happened? Mattie? Is she okay? What's going on?” Danny and LaF both stared at Laura with questioning looks on their faces.

_“She's fine, Laura. She's actually doing really well. We were watching-well I was watching television, and she did that hand squeezing thing that you've been saying she does, which by the way, I'm sorry I didn't believe you-”_

“Mattie, get to the point.” _She never rambles, why the hell is she rambling now?_

 _“Right. So she squeezed my hand, and I turned to look at her, and her eyes were open. She-well she wasn't looking at me. She was staring at the ceiling, but they were open. I squeezed her hand, and nothing happened. I called the nurse in, and by the time she got to the room, her eyes had shut again, but the nurse called the doctor, and they're coming to get her to do a bunch of tests. I think you should get here before she gets back so you can find out what's going on.”_ Mattie spoke so fast that it was hard for Laura to understand everything she was saying. 

“She-she opened her eyes? She squeezed your hand and opened her eyes?” Laura felt like her lungs were collapsing, and her breathing became harsh.

LaFontaine pulled the phone out of Laura's tight grasp. “We'll be there as soon as possible, Mattie.” They ended the call and turned to Danny. “Help me get her to my car.”

Laura's vision was starting to go black around the edges from lack of oxygen, and her head was spinning. She shook her head and took a deep breath. “Carm, she's-she's awake, or she was. She's going to come back to me.” She giggled and started rocking back and forth on the couch where she was sitting. 

Danny looked at LaF with a worried expression on her face. “Is she going to be okay?” 

LaF shook her head. “We need to get her to the hospital right now before she freaks out completely.”

Danny nodded and bent down to pick Laura up. “Come on, Hollis. We've done this plenty of times before. Up you go.” She wrapped her arm around Laura's back, and put her other arm under Laura's knees. When she stood up, Laura was cradled in her arms. “Get the doors, I've got her.”

LaF rushed to open the front door, locking it quickly after they stepped out, and ran to open their car door for Danny. Once Laura was settled safely in the front seat, they sped out of the driveway and raced back to the hospital. 

–

Laura sat on her cot, clutching Carmilla's hand in her own, and trying to regulate her breathing. She had gone into momentary shock whenever she spoke with Mattie earlier, and she was not willing to let that happen again. Not when the doctors were due to come back any moment to tell them the results of Carmilla's most recent scans. 

Mattie, LaF and Danny were whispering in the corner. They kept glancing over at her, and as much as she was trying to ignore it, it was really starting to aggravate her. Just when she opened her mouth to speak, two doctors entered the room. One was Carmilla's surgeon, while the other was her neurologist. 

“Ms. Hollis, I'm so glad that you were able to make it back here on time. We've got some news about Carmilla, and we'd hate for you to have to get it secondhand.”

“What's going on with her? Is she going to be okay? Why did she open her eyes?” Laura asked quickly not leaving enough time between each question for the doctors to answer.

“She's going to be fine, Laura,” the surgeon spoke. “We honestly don't really have an answer for why she opened her eyes. Sometimes it's an indication that the patient is waking up, sometimes it just happens.”

“Do you think it just happened with her?” Mattie asked from the corner of the room.

“We actually do not,” the neurologist spoke again. “Her brain scans show more activity than they have since she has arrived. Something is going on inside of her head. She could be on the verge of waking up, but only time will tell.” He turned to face Laura, “Either way, this is good news. More brain activity can never be seen as bad news.”

Laura felt tears spilling from her eyes, and Mattie was soon at her side on the cot. She leaned forward and laid her head on the pillow that was at Carmilla's side. 

“Thank you, doctors. This is wonderful news. She's just a little shell-shocked, I think,” Mattie said. 

“It's to be expected. Ms. Karnstein has been in a coma for over a month now, but we've had high hopes for her to make a recovery. It just takes some people longer than others to wake up from such a traumatic accident.”

“We'll run some more tests in the morning to see if there is anymore activity. Get some rest and enjoy the rest of your night.”

Laura's head jumped up from the pillow it was laying on. “Thank you! Thank you for telling us!” she called after the doctors retreating backs. The door was pulled shut, and Mattie squeezed Laura's shoulder.

“See? That's good news. She's actually got something going on inside that thick skull of hers.”

Carmilla's hand twitched slightly in Laura's, and Laura grinned. “I don't think she liked you saying she had a thick skull, Mattie.”

“Well if she doesn't like it that much, maybe she should wake up and tell me.” 

Laura looked down at their hands, expecting to feel something in response, but nothing came. Her shoulders slouched forward, and she sighed. She tried not to let the lack of response upset her. They had just gotten amazing news! Something as little as not getting her hand squeezed shouldn't make her sad, but this was the only way Carmilla was communicating with her. She was bound to feel sad when it didn't happen when she thought it was going to. 

“Well, I'd better go, Hollis. I've got to be to work in about an hour,” Danny said. “I'll stop by later on this week to see how things are going. Let me know if you hear any more news.” She waved to Mattie and LaF, opened the door to leave. 

Once she was gone, LaF sat down in the empty chair across from Laura. “You know, if you're going to cause Laura to go into shock, the least you can do is wake up for her. I seriously think she stopped breathing back at the house, and if you think this is some sort of joke, then I'm just going to have to put you into another coma when you finally do wake up.” Laura glared over at LaF who quickly backtracked. “I mean-obviously I'm kidding. I just don't like seeing her like this. She misses you so much, and I really think it's about time you opened those eyes for her. You can do it. You've been squeezing her hand. Opening your eyes for her can't be any harder. Just once. Come on, Karnstein. I know you've got it in you.”

Laura, Mattie, and LaF all watched Carmilla's face for any signs of movement. When nothing happened, LaF sighed and stood from the chair they were sitting in. “Well I'd better get going too. Perry is probably going to be home soon, and I need to fill her in on what happened today. I'll see you both later.” They walked out the door leaving Mattie and Laura alone with Carmilla.

“I called you as soon as I could. I just thought it was important to let the medical staff know what was going on. I wanted to get them in here as soon as possible in case-”

“Mattie, I understand. It's okay. She'll wake up soon, I can feel it. She's going to come back to me, and I'm never going to let her leave me again. You hear me, Carm? You're stuck with me forever. I hope you're okay with that.” 

Laura wasn't even expecting it. She had honestly forgotten that she was holding Carmilla's hand in her own still, but the hand she was holding tugged on her own. An honest to god tug. Not just a twitch of a finger, or a slight squeeze. Carmilla's hand pulled on her. 

“Did you see-?” Laura gasped.

“I did,” Mattie said quickly. “I actually saw her pull on your hand. It was-”

“Movement. She really moved that time.”

The two girls looked up at Carmilla's face, and Laura could have sworn she saw a glimpse of that familiar smirk playing on her face. 

–

“Alright, darling, it's late. I've got to get home to get some rest. There's no way I can miss work tomorrow,” Mattie stretched and stood from the cot where her and Laura had been sitting while they talked. The television was on in the background, but neither girl was paying it much attention.

Laura stood and followed Mattie to the door. “Thanks for hanging out with me this afternoon. I had fun.”

“Fun,” Mattie shuttered. “Don't say that word around me.” She gave Laura a quick one armed hug, winked, and left the room. 

Laura closed the door, and made her way into the bathroom to get ready for bed. Once she was settled on the cot, she moved the pillow that separated her from Carmilla.

“I think it'd be okay if we cuddled for a little while, don't you? I mean, I know I'm not really supposed to mess with all of your tubes and wires, but I'm not going to touch anything but your left side. I just want to feel your arm around me again. I need to hear your heart beating to know that you're still there. That you're still you. If I hurt you in any way, just-hell-I don't know. Move your arm or something.” She scooted over until she was laying partially on Carmilla's bed. She carefully lifted Carmilla's left arm, and pulled it around her shoulders. 

Sighing, she laid her head down on Carmilla's chest. “This is nice, isn't it? I've missed you so much. You're right here, you're always right here, and yet I feel like I haven't seen you in so long. It's not the same, just having you physically here. I need to talk to you. I need to kiss you. I mean, sure,” Laura lifted her head and placed a quick kiss on Carmilla's lips, “I can kiss you anytime I want, but it's not the same. It just doesn't feel right if you're lips aren't moving with mine. I know you were hurt pretty bad, and I'm sure you're so tired from trying to heal from all of that, but please come back to me soon. I don't think I can take this much longer, having you here but not having _you_ here. I miss your snarky comments, and your little nicknames you gave me.” 

Laura chuckled softly. “I didn't think I'd ever really miss being called by so many sweet treats, but I do. I miss all of them. I think I miss Cupcake the most, though. That one is definitely my favorite. And as much as I love the nicknames, I miss those rare moments when you would call me Laura. I've always thought my name was plain and boring, but Carm, the first time you said it, I fell in love with it. Every letter, every syllable. I never wanted to hear anyone else say my name again. It sounded like it was always meant to roll off of your tongue,” Laura sighed, and she felt her eyes starting to close on their own. “I love you, Carmilla. I'm always going to love you, every day, for the rest of my life. Goodnight.”

–

Laura felt something shift underneath her head, and she groaned. “LaF, I swear if that's you, and you snatch this damn pillow out from underneath my head again, I'm going to kill you with a pillow.”

Something soft brushed her cheek, and she jumped at the touch. A scratchy voice spoke from above her head.

“Cupcake?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi gentle readers! Finally! A new chapter! I really hate that this too so long for me to write, but the holidays are seriously a crazy time for me. I have a huge family, and working at a hospital during this time is nuts because we never close and people need to take vacation, so those of us that stay work lots of overtime. BUT I finally found time to sit and write this chapter. or..finish it really because I've been writing it very slowly. I just never had time to bring it to the conclusion that I wanted. ANYWAY. I apologize for taking so freaking long to update, and hopefully the next chapter won't take this long.  
> Thanks for reading! I hope you liked it!!
> 
> And as always, don't be afraid to come say hello!  
> micanickel.tumblr.com


	18. Fog

Fog. There was so much fog. It was everywhere. Coating her skin, filling her eyes, and nothing she did seemed to make it any less dense. She ran in one direction for what felt like hours until she was sure that her lungs would burst from the effort, but it never seemed to dissipate. She tried walking, but that only pushed her to run again. She crawled, hoping that if she got low enough, she'd be able to see better. That's what you were supposed to do in a house fire, right? Smoke rises, so fog should, too. Logic failed her, and she had no idea where to go. 

There were moments when everything felt helpless, and she would collapse on the ground, too exhausted to carry on any more. That was the first time that the light appeared in the distance, slowly filling the space around her. The fog didn't seem any thinner, but the light was still blinding. She stood from where she was hunched on the ground, and made her way to the source. The air around her grew warmer as she approached, and she felt like she could touch the light if she stretched out her hand.

 _“Carm.”_ Her head whipped around to look behind her, arm still outstretched towards the light.

“Laura?” she called into the fog behind her. “Laura, is that you? I can't see anything.”

 _“Please don't go,”_ Laura's voice spoke again, sounding much further away this time. _“I need you here with me.”_

Carmilla's arm dropped to her side, and she hurried towards the sound of Laura's voice. “I'm not going anywhere, Laura. Where are you?” She started running again, afraid of losing Laura in the fog, afraid of being alone again. 

“Laura?!” she called and received nothing but silence in return. Her footsteps faltered, and she fell to her knees. The light behind her slowly faded into nothing, and she was left with the fog closing in on her once again.

–

 _“Merry Christmas, Carm,”_ Laura's voice sounded exhausted, and Carmilla ached with wanting to comfort her. 

“Merry Christmas, cupcake,” she muttered into the ever present fog that surrounded her. 

Carmilla had lost track of how long she had been stuck in this fog, not that it ever changed from day to night, but she had an idea based on things that Laura's voice said around her. She had given up trying to find her, so sure that she never would. She never heard anyone else, only Laura, and she longed to be with her again. 

She was sure that, wherever Laura was, she knew that Carmilla was aware of her presence. Carmilla had been going crazy, sounds of Laura sobbing filled her ears, and there was nothing she could do to block it out. She was huddled on the ground in a tight ball when Laura's voice sounded as if it were right beside her. 

_“I can't lose you, Carm. I love you too much. Please come back to me.”_

Carmilla sat up, head turning frantically, trying to find Laura. She screamed in frustration, hands balled into fists. “Dammit, where are you, Laura?!”

She heard a small gasp, and Laura started sobbing again. “Carm! Carm, can you hear me? Do that again. Move your hand again.”

Carmilla looked down at her clenched fists feeling confused. “What are you talking about, Laura? Move my hand?”

When Laura didn't respond, Carmilla groaned in frustration again. “What the hell is she even talking about?” Carmilla mumbled to herself.

–

Carmilla started hearing Mattie's voice shortly after. It wasn't anywhere near as loud as Laura's was, and she could tell by the things that were said to her that the two were interacting. She tried not to focus on how confusing that was because Laura and Mattie had never even met. 

She had given up trying to escape the fog long ago, but it did seem to be thinning more and more. The bright light had stopped appearing randomly, and the last few times that it had, she had no urge to move towards it. 

There were times when Carmilla could hear full conversations between Laura and Mattie, not just moments when the two were speaking to her. One time, in particular, Mattie seemed to be making fun of Laura's choice in movies. Of course Laura didn't take too kindly to being made fun of, and the two started arguing back and forth. Neither voice sounded angry, though. It sounded more like playful bantering between friends. Carmilla laid on the ground, staring up into the fog, imagining the two women standing in front of her while they argued about musicals. 

The voices stopped for a while, and Carmilla was left alone with her own thoughts. She was jerked out of her fantasies when her left side suddenly got very warm, and she could hear heavy breathing all around her. Her eyes snapped open, and she looked around her. There were no movements in the fog, though, so she assumed that she was still alone.

The heavy breathing soon turned into light snoring, and her heart jumped into her throat. She'd know that sound anywhere. It was Laura's snoring. She always tried to argue with Carmilla about it, claiming that there was no way in hell or Hogwarts that she snored. Carmilla always loved it, though. It was the perfect lullaby. She felt herself drifting, and closed her eyes, willing herself to fall asleep. She knew it wouldn't happen. She hadn't been able to fall asleep for as long as she had been stuck in the fog, but she never stopped trying. 

–

 _“I'll only be gone for a few hours, so try not to miss me too much, okay?”_ Laura's voice spoke right beside her. Something light brushed Carmilla's cheek, and her hand flew to her face. 

“What the hell was that?” she wondered out loud.

The fog was even thinner now, and she could almost make out vague shadows in the distance. Mattie was with her. She knew because she heard her and Laura arguing a little while ago. It seemed like Mattie was forcing Laura to leave, and Laura was adamant about not wanting to go anywhere. Mattie must have gotten her way, as usual. 

_“Now that she's gone, let's find something better to watch than those awful musicals she had on the other night. I don't see how you put up with her, Mircalla.”_

Carmilla grinned and laid back on the ground again, putting her arms behind her head. This wasn't the ideal way that she would like to spend time with her sister, but she wasn't going to complain. At least Mattie would talk to her so she wouldn't feel so alone. 

–

Mattie was rambling about some home designer television show she must have been watching, when the fog suddenly disappeared entirely. Carmilla jumped to her feet, sure that her isolation was finally over. She still couldn't make out any specific details, but she was breathing clearer, and her head wasn't so fuzzy anymore. 

“Mattie!” Carmilla called into the open air. “Mattie, get me the hell out of here!”

 _“Mircalla?”_ she heard Mattie gasp.

“I'm right here, Mattie! Can you see me?”

A shadow crossed in front her eyes quickly, and she blinked heavily, trying to clear her vision. 

_“Don't-just don't do anything. I'm calling your doctors.”_

“Doctors? Mattie, what the hell are you talking about?” Carmilla yelled. Everything was silent for a few minutes, and suddenly her ears were filled with annoying beeping, and loud whirring. 

“What the fuck is going on?” Carmilla groaned in frustration, and sat back down on the ground. “I just want to go home.” 

–

_““Mattie, I understand. It's okay. She'll wake up soon, I can feel it. She's going to come back to me, and I'm never going to let her leave me again. You hear me, Carm? You're stuck with me forever. I hope you're okay with that.”_

Carmilla felt an odd pressure in her left hand, and she squeezed her hand into a fist. The pressure didn't go away, so she waved her hand in the air. “What the hell is going on with me?”

 _“Did you see-?”_ Laura gasped.

 _“I did,”_ Mattie said quickly. _“I actually saw her pull on your hand. It was-”_

_“Movement. She really moved that time.”_

Carmilla smirked. Whatever was happening to her, it must be a good thing if she was impressing those two so much. 

–

Carmilla was laying on her back, eyes closed, while she replayed some of her favorite memories in her mind for the thousandth time when her left side suddenly got extremely warm again. 

Laura started speaking immediately afterwards. _“This is nice, isn't it? I've missed you so much. You're right here, you're always right here, and yet I feel like I haven't seen you in so long. It's not the same, just having you physically here. I need to talk to you. I need to kiss you. I mean, sure,”_ Carmilla felt pressure on her lips as they got warmer. _“I can kiss you anytime I want, but it's not the same. It just doesn't feel right if you're lips aren't moving with mine. I know you were hurt pretty bad, and I'm sure you're so tired from trying to heal from all of that, but please come back to me soon. I don't think I can take this much longer, having you here but not having you here. I miss your snarky comments, and your little nicknames you gave me.”_

She heard Laura chuckling softly. _“I didn't think I'd ever really miss being called by so many sweet treats, but I do. I miss all of them. I think I miss Cupcake the most, though. That one is definitely my favorite. And as much as I love the nicknames, I miss those rare moments when you would call me Laura. I've always thought my name was plain and boring, but Carm, the first time you said it, I fell in love with it. Every letter, every syllable. I never wanted to hear anyone else say my name again. It sounded like it was always meant to roll off of your tongue. I love you, Carmilla. I'm always going to love you, every day, for the rest of my life. Goodnight.”_

Carmilla felt tears welling up in her eyes, and she let them roll down her cheeks. She had never missed anyone more in that moment. She longed to hold Laura in her arms, to feel the warmth of her body against hers. “I miss you, too, cupcake. More than you could ever imagine.” 

–

She was enjoying the sound of Laura's snoring when the pain started. It spread all down her right side, and no matter how she positioned herself on the ground, the pain didn't get any better. Her head started pounding, and she could hear her heartbeat. 

The pressure on her left side increased to an uncomfortable level, and she tried to wiggle away from it. Her breathing was heavy, each breath causing sharp pains to ripple through her chest. She closed her eyes, willing the pain to go away.

With her eyes squeezed tightly shut, she wished she was safe within the comfort of Laura's arms. The temperature around her changed, and she felt something tickling her cheek. She opened her eyes again, and her surroundings had completely changed. 

She was laying in a bed. A hospital bed, to be exact, and Laura's head was on her chest. She struggled to catch her breath. “Please let this be real, please let this be real,” she whispered to herself. Even with all of the pain she was feeling throughout her body, she was more than willing to accept it in favor of being with Laura again.

She wiggled the fingers on her left arm. Needles stabbed at her hand, and she closed her eyes tight. _“It's okay, your hand is just asleep,”_ she thought to herself. She tried to carefully move her arm to get more blood flowing to it, but the movement caused Laura to stir.

“LaF, I swear if that's you, and you snatch this damn pillow out from underneath my head again, I'm going to kill you _with_ a pillow.”

Carmilla brought her hand up to Laura's face, and brushed a few stray hairs away from her cheek. Laura jumped, and her eyes snapped open. 

“Cupcake?” God, why did her throat hurt so much?

Laura's head jerked up to look at her, and she was the most beautiful sight Carmilla had seen in ages. 

“Carm?” Laura spoke frantically. “You're-you're awake. You're really awake.” Her eyes swam with tears, and they spilled over onto her cheeks. Her hands reached up and gripped Carmilla's face before her lips crashed against hers. 

They kissed feverishly, Carmilla ignoring the pains spreading throughout her body. Laura pulled back with a gasp, and Carmilla's lips chased after her.

“Wait, where are you going? Come back.”

“Carm, you're awake,” Laura said.

“I believe we've already established that, cupcake. Get back here and kiss me.”

“No, you're awake. I can't. I need to-”

“Laura, I'm awake, yes. You need to be kissing me.” Carmilla puckered her lips and stretched her neck to try to kiss Laura again.

Laura placed a hand on her shoulder and gently pushed her back. “I've been waiting for this to happen for so long, and I'm going about it all wrong.”

Carmilla huffed. “What the hell are you talking about, Laura?”

“Carm, you were-you were in an accident, a terrible accident, and you've been in a coma for almost two months.”

Carmilla furrowed her brow in confusion. “An accident? What are you-?” and then it all came rushing back to her. She was on her motorcycle, heading home from Laura's when the truck slammed into her. Everything went dark, and when she opened her eyes next, she was surrounded by fog. 

“Oh, I am such an idiot. I handled this so wrong,” Laura repeated as her voice trailed higher and higher. “I was just so happy that you were awake, and then we were kissing, and I couldn't think of anything else because I have _so desperately_ wanted that for the past two months. I need to-I need to get your nurse so she can call your doctors, and then I need to let everyone know that you're awake. Everyone is going to be so happy, Carm. It's been really-it's been extremely touching having everyone here with constant support. I'll-I'll be right back. Please don't go anywhere. Stay awake.” Laura leaned forward and placed a quick kiss on Carmilla's lips. She stood from the bed, and practically ran to the door.

“I'm not going anywhere, cupcake,” she said as Laura pulled the door open and rushed out.

–

Laura ran to the nurses station down the hall from Carmilla's room. She slammed her hands on the counter once she reached it, earning a glare from the nurse that was sitting in front of her.

“Carmilla's nurse,” she said breathlessly, “where is she? I need her right now.”

The nurse gave Laura an annoyed look before she responded. “She's with another patient at the moment, I can send her in as soon as she-”

“No, I need her now. Like-right now. Carmilla's awake. I was sleeping, and the next thing I know, we're kissing and-”

“Hold on just a moment,” the nurse held up her hand, stopping Laura's rant, “the patient that has been in a coma for _two months_ wakes up, and you think it's a good idea to have a make out session before you come and find her nurse?”

Laura felt her face flush with embarrassment. “That's not exactly what-I just got a little caught up in the moment. I was half asleep, and it took me a minute to realize that I wasn't dreaming. Can you please go get her now?”

The nurse eye Laura skeptically, but she picked up the phone that was sitting on the counter beside her. She dialed a few numbers and held the receiver to her ear. Laura's fingers drummed impatiently on the counter.

“Mel, you're not going to believe this, but according to the hyped up little girl in front of me, your coma patient just woke up and started kissing her.” Laura tried not to become irritated by how the nurse was talking about her as if she weren't two feet in front of her. The nurse nodded her head as she listened to what Mel was saying on the other line. “I'm not sure how long she's been awake. Yeah, I'll tell her you're coming.” She hung up the phone, and turned her attention back to Laura. “She said she'll be right in the room.”

“Perfect,” Laura said, plastering on her trade-marked 'Hollis' smile.

The nurse rolled her eyes, and looked back at the computer she was previously staring at before Laura ran up to the counter.

Laura ran back to Carmilla's room, and pushed the door open. She squinted into the sudden darkness, trying to see if Carmilla's eyes were still open or if she had imagined the whole thing.

“I'm still here, cutie,” Carmilla's scratchy voice spoke from the bed.

“Thank god. I was going to feel like a complete ass if I just did all of that for a dream.” Laura walked around to the other side of the bed and climbed on the cot. She was hesitant to get too close to Carmilla, not wanting to cause her any pain.

“If I've been out of it for two months, why are you so obviously trying to stay away from me?” Carmilla pouted.

“I just-I'm not sure how much I should touch you, really. I don't want to hurt you or anything,” Laura said as she looked down at her hands that were folded in her lap.

“Laura,” Carmilla spoke softly, “I have been going absolutely crazy trying to get back to you. I can deal with a little pain if it means that I can finally touch you.”

Laura grinned and scooted across the cot until she was halfway sitting on Carmilla's bed. She intertwined their fingers, and Carmilla brought their hands up to her face. She gently kissed every one of Laura's fingers before sighing happily.

“All things considered, I feel pretty great. Yes, my head is absolutely killing me, and every time I breathe, I feel like I'm being stabbed, but I think it could be worse.”

“It's probably just euphoria,” a voice spoke from the door causing Laura to jump and Carmilla to wince in pain at the sudden movement of her bed.

“Oh gosh, I'm sorry, Carm.” Laura smiled sheepishly, and scooted back until she was only sitting on the cot again, but she kept their hands tangled together.

Carmilla's nurse stood in the doorway to her room, leaning against the door frame. “Nice to see that you're really awake. It's been a little lonely here without you.”

“Mel,” Carmilla said smiling, “what are you doing up on the floor? Did the ER get too boring for you?”

Mel shrugged and stepped further into the room. “Maybe it just wasn't the same without my partner in crime down there with me.” The two smiled at each other for a moment, and Mel took a deep breath. Laura could see her shifting from friend mode to nurse mode. “I've spoken with your neurologists, they're all on their way. Although, I will tell you that they're kind of upset that you chose this time of night to pull out of your coma. Dr. Friedland told me to ask you why you couldn't have woken up in the afternoon.”

Carmilla rolled her eyes, and turned her gaze to Laura. “I didn't really have much of a choice with this one whispering sweet nothings in my ear all night.”

Laura's jaw dropped and her face turned crimson. “You could-you could actually _hear me_?”

“Not everything, but I think I could hear what was directed to me.” Carmilla's expression suddenly turned playful. “By the way, I had no idea you loved it so much when I said your name, _Laura_.” She wiggled her eyebrows, and Laura squeezed her hand.

“I just missed you,” she mumbled seemingly to herself. “I'm not even sure why now, though.”

Carmilla glanced over at Mel, who nodded and backed out of the room. “I'll just be out here waiting on the doctors. If anything chances,” she looked over at Laura, “come get me immediately. No kissing.”

Laura's blush deepened, and she began fidgeting with a stray thread on the blanket that was on the cot. 

“Hey,” Carmilla said softly.

Laura looked up at her through her eyelashes. “Hey,” she whispered back.

“If it's any consolation, I don't think I've ever enjoyed the feeling of someone else's name on my lips as much as I do yours.” 

Laura bit her bottom lip, trying to fight the smile that was making it's way across her face. “You're such a sap, Carmilla Karnstein.”

Carmilla's eyes widened. “You promise you won't tell anyone?”

“Pinky promise,” Laura replied with a smile. She watched as Carmilla sighed contently, and leaned further back into her pillows. Her eyes drifted shut, and Laura felt her anxiety start to climb. 

Carmilla must have noticed because her eyes quickly snapped open. “You heartbeat just spiked, creampuff. I told you I'm not going anywhere.”

Laura laughed nervously, “I know, I know. I'll probably freak out anytime you go to sleep for the next eight years or something. I'll get over it eventually.”

“Eight years, huh? You plan on keeping me around that long?” Carmilla asked with a smirk.

“I plan on keeping you around as long as you want to be kept,” Laura responded. She leaned forward, stopping when her lips were a few inches from Carmilla's. “You don't think that one little kiss would hurt anything, right? I mean, I know Mel said no kissing but-”

“Cupcake,” Carmilla said cutting her off, “shut up and kiss me.”

Laura grinned and brought their lips together in a slow, and gentle kiss. Loud voices carried down the hallway, and she sighed, leaning back on to her cot. “That will be your doctors.”

Sure enough, a group of people entered the room moments later accompanied by Mel. Laura stood from the cot, and squished herself into the back corner of the room. She watched as the doctors each examined Carmilla themselves. Carmilla seemed to be getting more frustrated with each new exam. 

“I'm awake, and I feel great. Isn't that enough for all of you?” she finally snapped as the seventh person held a small light up to her eyes to check her pupil response. “I have a massive headache, and all of this,” she waved her left arm dramatically in the air, “isn't helping anything at all.”

“Ms. Karnstein,” one of the doctors standing next to the bed spoke, “you know the protocol, you know we have to go through all of this.”

Carmilla sighed heavily and rolled her eyes. She looked over at Laura and winked. Laura bent to grab her cell phone from her bag that sat open on the chair next to her, and held it up so Carmilla could see it. She nodded towards the hallway, and Carmilla smiled towards her, nodding slightly to confirm that she understood what Laura was doing. 

Laura stepped out into the hallway, and opened up her messages. She sent out a quick group text to LaF, Perry, and Danny that simply said _“Carm's awake, too much going on right now, come see her later today.”_ When she had hit send on that, she brought up her contacts and scrolled until she found Mattie's number. She pressed the call button and held the phone up to her ear. It rang three times before a groggy voice answered.

_“This had better be good, gidget. I was just getting to an extremely important business meeting in my dream.”_

“She's awake,” Laura blurted out, unsure of how else she should tell Mattie.

There was a soft intake of breath on the other line. _“What did you say?”_

“I said that she's awake. Carm's awake. The doctors are all in with her right now exam-”

 _“I'm on my way,”_ Mattie cut her off. The call ended, and Laura brought the phone away from her head. At least Mattie didn't ask too many questions that she didn't have the answers to yet. 

She pulled up her contacts again, and found Ell's name above Mattie's. Her thumb hovered over the screen momentarily, but she mashed the button and brought the phone to her ear again. Ell deserved more than a text message. Sure, her sleeping habits were a bit erratic, but she would understand being woken up at this hour. 

_“Hollis, to what do I owe the pleasure?”_ Ell answered, sounding even groggier than Mattie had.

“I just thought you'd like to be one of the first to know that Carm woke up a little while ago. The doctors are in with her now doing some exams, and I think they mentioned taking her for some tests.”

There was shuffling on the other line, and Laura heard two thuds. She assumed that Ell had sat up and was getting out of bed.

_“Who's up there with you right now?”_

“No one. I just got off the phone with Mattie, she's on her way, but other than that, it's just me.”

_“I'm on my way, Laura. Keep that asshole awake for me so I can kill her when I get there.”_

“That's if Mattie doesn't beat you to it first.”

Ell chuckled, _“Good point. Be sure to tell Mattie that I'd like to help her if she'd be so kind as to wait for me.”_

“I'll see you in a bit, Ell,” Laura said laughing. She ended the call and glanced down the hall towards Carmilla's room. She could still hear voices coming from the open door, and she slowly made her way back. 

When she got to the doorway, Carmilla's bed was being maneuvered so it could be pulled from the room.

“What's going on?” Laura asked Mel who exited the room just before the bed was pushed through the doorway.

“They've got to take her down for a bunch of tests. Just some MRIs and scans, nothing traumatic. She'll be gone for a few hours, though. Did you get in touch with anyone? It would suck if you had to sit here by yourself.”

Laura laughed heartily. “I've basically been sitting up here by myself for two months.”

“Hey,” Carmilla's hurt voice sounded from the bed that was being pushed out of the door, “you weren't alone. I was here with you the entire time.”

“Yeah, and some company you were. You didn't even talk to me,” Laura said smiling at her once the head of the bed was through the doorway. 

“You talk enough for the both of us, cutie,” Carmilla said winking at her. “Docs, I understand that this is all extremely important, and that I need to get downstairs, but,” she looked hesitantly at Laura, “is it too much to ask for me to get a kiss from my girl before I disappear again? I've been gone for a really long time, and I don't want her to go crazy or anything.”

The doctors all laughed, and let go of Carmilla's bed. They made their way towards the elevators that were down the hall, leaving Laura, and Mel standing by the bed. 

“Make it quick, Karnstein,” Mel said as she narrowed her eyes at Carmilla.

Carmilla's left hand reached over the railing that was up on her bed, and stretched her fingers out to Laura. Laura quickly grabbed her hand and stepped to the side of the bed. 

“I'll be thinking of you,” Carmilla said quietly.

“Sap,” Laura teased. She stood on her tip toes, and leaned over the railing to press her lips against Carmilla's. “Try not to miss me too much, Carm.”

“I think I should be saying that to you, cupcake.”

“That's an impossible thing to expect, though. I already miss you, and you're right in front of me.”

“Alright, alright,” Mel said interrupting the two, “enough of this mushy crap. I've got to get her downstairs.”

Carmilla laughed and turned her head to Laura. “I'm not going anywhere, okay? I'll be back soon.”

“One for the road?” Laura asked.

Carmilla glanced over at Mel, who rolled her eyes and sighed heavily. Laura grinned and quickly kissed Carmilla again. 

“See you soon, Carm.”

“And I'll see you, cutie.” 

Mel moved to the foot of Carmilla's bed and started pushing her down the hallway away from Laura. As the neared the end of the hall, Carmilla lifted her hand to her lips, and blew a kiss down the hall towards Laura. Laura's hand reflexively lifted, and she made a fist as she caught the kiss. She shoved her hand down in the pocket of her pants, watching as Carmilla's grin grew. They disappeared around the corner, and Laura's shoulders drooped. 

“Please hurry back,” she mumbled. She turned and stepped back into Carmilla's now empty room. She made her way over to the cot, and sat cross-legged on top of it. She unlocked her phone, flipping through her apps, trying to occupy her mind and willing the time to pass quickly until she saw Carmilla again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meh. Kind of a short chapter in comparison to some of the recent ones, but I had the itch to write tonight, and I really wanted to get something posted before going to bed! Plus, this just seemed like a really good place to end, and I didn't want to get too carried away with the next part and end up having a 20k chapter. Not that any of you would really complain about that, but still. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Lots of fluff to make up for so much angst! Up next! Carmilla dealing with healing and not being able to do..well..anything! Should be interesting ;) Thanks for reading everyone! You're all the best!
> 
> And as always, don't be afraid to stop by and say hello!  
> micanickel.tumblr.com


	19. Soiree

Laura woke with a start when her head fell backwards and slammed into the wall behind her. Her phone had toppled down between her crossed legs, and she picked it up so she could check the time. Only thirty minutes had passed since Carmilla was taken for her tests. 

“I guess I was more tired than I realized,” Laura mumbled to herself as she dropped her phone back between her legs. 

“Tired is an understatement, gidget,” Mattie said as she walked out of the bathroom. Laura jumped and looked over at her. Of course Mattie looked like she had just stepped off a runway.

“When did you get here?” Laura asked. _“And who the hell dresses like that at this time of night when they're just going to the hospital?”_ she thought. 

“About ten minutes ago. I would have woken you, but you were drooling, and doing that adorable snoring.”

“I don't snore,” Laura said, crossing her arms and pouting.

Mattie chuckled and moved to sit beside Laura on the cot. She put her arm around Laura's shoulders, and shook her gently. “So, tell me about my sister. What happened?”

“I-I'm not even sure,” Laura said thoughtfully. “We were-I was just sleeping, and I woke up when something moved underneath me. Next thing I know, she's staring down at me.”

“Something moved underneath you? Did she grab your pillow out from under your head?” Mattie furrowed her brow and looked down at Laura curiously.

Laura felt her face heating up with the blush that was spreading across it. “I may have been laying on her bed with her. Well, half her bed, half mine. I didn't touch anything on her bad side!” she added hastily at the look on Mattie's face.

Mattie rolled her eyes, but her expression softened slightly. “You know the doctors told you not to do that the last time they caught you.”

“Right, yes, I know,” Laura said nodding. She looked down at her hand, picking her fingernails while she spoke. “That's why I wake up _before_ the doctors start their rounding, and I make sure that I'm safely in my own bed.”

“You figured out the doctors rounding schedule?” Mattie asked sounding surprised.

“I've been here almost two months,” Laura said with a shrug. “It wasn't that complicated. I just took notes of what times the doctors came in on what days, and went from there.”

“You did all of that so you could cuddle with Carmilla?”

“I wasn't sleeping very well. Without her, I mean. I'd gotten so used to feeling her breathing and hearing her heartbeat. I can't tell you how many sleepless nights I spent just watching her sleep, wishing I could join her. Listening to her heartbeat while I fell asleep, I could almost pretend that all of this was just a dream. That I would wake up to her smiling face again.”

Mattie groaned and pushed Laura away from her playfully. “Ugh, that's enough. I get it. You're grossing me out.”

“You'll find love one day, Mattie,” Laura said as she poked Mattie's side. 

Mattie raised her eyebrows and looked down at Laura. “I have to be looking, don't I?”

“I wasn't looking when I so gracefully fell into your sisters lap. That night changed my life,” Laura smiled wistfully as she remembered the night she spoke of. “It could happen to you, too. You never know.”

“You've got something special with Mircalla. It's not something that's found every day, so I highly doubt that I'll ever come across anything like it.”

“Matska Belmonde, are you actually saying nice things about the relationship your sister and I have?”

“I'll deny it if you ever tell anyone,” Mattie said, not making eye contact with Laura. 

“You're such a closet softy, Mattie,” Laura grabbed Mattie's arm and wrapped it back around her shoulders. “Don't worry, your secret's safe with me.”

Mattie stayed quiet, but Laura saw the corners of her mouth quirk up just a tiny bit. 

Footsteps sounded outside in the hallway, and both girls turned to face the door. Ell stepped into the doorway, quickly followed by Danny. 

“Hey..guys,” Danny said throwing a questioning look at the two girls on the cot.

Mattie quickly withdrew her arm from around Laura's shoulders and stood from the cot. She brushed her hands down the front of her dress, and stepped over to Ell. 

“Ell, I didn't realize you'd be joining our little party,” she gave her a quick hug, holding her by the shoulders as she pulled back. “It's lovely to see you.”

Ell rolled her eyes at Mattie's formal tone. “Mattie, I literally grew up with you. Don't talk to me like I'm some colleague of yours.” 

“Xena, it's a pleasure as always,” Mattie said as she stuck her hand out to Danny.

Danny's jaw clenched, and she gripped Mattie's hand in her own. “It's nice to see that your sister's hilarious nicknames haven't stopped this entire time she's been in a coma. How did you even-”

“Mattie and Carmilla are basically the same person,” Ell said, answering Danny's question before she could finish asking it. “I guarantee she didn't even know Carmilla had ever called you that.”

Mattie's eyes widened slightly. “And here I thought I was being original. I'll have to come up with something else.”

“Oh, joy,” Danny said sarcastically. She walked over to an empty chair and flopped down on it. 

Ell watched her affectionately for a moment, and turned to face Laura. “How are you holding up?” she asked gingerly. 

Laura smiled softly up at Ell. “I just-I can't believe she's finally awake. It doesn't seem real to me.”

Ell walked over to the cot that Laura was sitting on. She perched on the edge and placed her hand on Laura's knee. “I never thought for one moment that she was going to leave you. She just needed some rest before she woke up again, that's all.”

Laura gave her a watery smile, and opened her arms to Ell. The two hugged for a moment until Danny awkwardly cleared her throat. 

Ell leaned back from the hug with a smirk on her face. “There's no reason to be jealous, babe.”

A faint blush crept up Danny's face. “I'm not jealous. I just wanted you to come sit next to me.” She patted the seat of the empty chair beside her. 

Ell turned back to Laura, and lowered her voice to a quiet whisper so only Laura could hear what she said, “I hope you don't mind that I brought her with me. We had a late movie night, and I ended up falling asleep at her place. When you called, she offered to drive because I was kind of in panic mode. I couldn't even get my shoes on without her help and I-”

“Hey, hey,” Laura said quickly cutting off Ell's rambling, “it's perfectly fine that she's here. She's come up with you basically every time you've visited before. This doesn't have to be any different.”

“Well, I know. I just wasn't sure if this was supposed to be just family since she's awake and all,” Ell said with a shrug.

“Carm and Danny are friends. I'm sure she'll be happy to see Danny when they bring her back.”

“Happy may be a bit of an exaggeration,” Mattie said from where she stood by the door.

Danny cut her eyes at Mattie across the room, and Ell stood quickly from the bed. “Alright! I think that's enough talking for the moment.” She walked over to the chair beside Danny and sat down. Laura watched as they immediately grabbed each other's hands, tangling their fingers together. She smiled over at the pair, so happy that two of her friends had found each other.

Mattie pulled her phone from her purse, and sat down in the chair by the doorway. She began scrolling through her phone, ignoring the other three that sat in the room with her. If Laura never saw the other side of Mattie, she knew they wouldn't get along. Mattie seemed to change around Laura, though, becoming somewhat softer. Although she definitely still seemed to feel superior even when it was just the two of them. Laura didn't mind that too much.

Ell and Danny sat beside each other, finding comfort in the silence that was shared between the two of them. Laura sighed contently, happy that she wasn't alone while she waited anymore. She leaned back against the wall that was behind her and closed her eyes again. 

Just as she felt herself drifting, Mattie's voice exclaimed loudly in the room. _“William?!”_

Laura's eyes popped open, and she saw Carmilla's brother standing in the doorway beside Mattie.

Will shuffled his feet, and stared up at the ceiling. “I woke up as soon as I got your message, Laura. I thought-I thought that I should be here, too. Family support and everything.”

Laura grinned at Will, and rushed over to hug him. They toppled a little as she slammed into his body, but Will quickly righted himself, and wrapped his arms around Laura. 

“I'm so glad you came, Will,” Laura said, voice muffled by Will's jacket.

“I know I haven't really been coming up here to visit much. I just want to make up for that.”

“William,” Mattie said from her chair. “Shut up and sit down. We all know that you hate hospitals more than any normal person should.”

“Yeah, why is that?” LaF's voice spoke behind Will. 

He jumped and spun around quickly. Laura, who was still in his embrace, stumbled to stay upright. The lower half of her body was now behind Will, feet still planted on the ground, while her torso was still pressed against his chest. In such an awkward and uncomfortable position, Laura pulled out of Will's tight hug, and flopped back down on her cot. 

“Why is what?” Will asked seeming to have not noticed the fact that Laura just almost face planted in the middle of the hospital room.

“Why do you hate hospitals so much?” Laura could practically see the gears turning in LaF's mind. A new subject to study and figure out.

“I'm not entirely sure. I haven't really had anything traumatic happen,” Will said thoughtfully. “They just smell weird to me.” His nostrils flared as he inhaled. “I don't particularly like sick people, either.”

LaFontaine's fingers twitched, and they stepped closer to Will. “I could always take hair and blood samples to try to figure out just what kind of-”

“LaFontaine, I don't think that's necessary,” Perry said, stepping around them into the room. “Hi, everyone.”

Danny and Ell waved at her from across the room, and Laura noticed Perry's eyes lock on to their intertwined fingers. Perry's eyes narrowed slightly, and she moved over to the couple. 

“So what's going on with all of this?” She gestured to their hands.

“Uhm, it's not-” Danny stuttered.

“We're seeing each other,” Ell interjected. “Does that come as a surprise to you?” 

“Not entirely as a surprise. You two just aren't usually affectionate when you're up here visiting. We've all kind of thought you were trying to hide it,” Perry said.

“We wanted to figure out what exactly was going on between the two of us before we let anyone else in on our business,” Ell smiled over at Danny, “but I think we sort of came to an agreement that we're a couple now.”

Perry's face lit up with the announcement. “That's so wonderful! I am so happy for you two girls, you have no idea! Everyone deserves to find love in their lifetime!”

“Perr, leave them alone,” LaF sighed. They walked over to the cot that Laura was sitting on and sat down beside her. “I bet you're ecstatic right now, L.”

“I was saying earlier that it kind of doesn't feel real. I feel like I'm going to wake up at any moment, and Carm's still going to be laying in the bed, eyes closed, and unresponsive.”

LaF reached over and pinched Laura's arm.

“OW!” Laura snatched her arm back and rubbed the spot. Frowning at LaF, she asked, “What the hell was that for?”

LaFontaine grinned at her. “You're definitely not dreaming.”

“Honey, I don't think she really thought she was in a dream, you didn't have to do that,” Perry scolded. She sat down in the empty chair on Danny's other side. “Since I'm awake, I'm going to finish grading some tests, I hope you all don't mind.”

Mattie sighed heavily, speaking for the first time since Will entered the room. “Do whatever you want, just stop talking. I've got a splitting headache, and your screechy voices aren't making it any better.”

“Always so sweet, sister,” Will said as he sat down beside Mattie. “You're such a charmer.”

Mattie glared at him, but didn't respond. She turned her attention back to the phone she still held in her hand. Laura's phone went off a moment later, and she dug through the blankets on the bed until she found it.

 **Mattie:** Just keeping up appearances, darling.

Laura glanced up to see Mattie give her a quick wink.

 **Gidget:** That's alright. I know your secret.

Laura dropped her phone back down on the bed and looked around the room at the group that had shown up. She couldn't describe how she felt as she took in the small group that had formed to show support for her and Carmilla. The only word that came to mind was _Warm._

–  
Two hours had passed without any noise coming from the hallway outside of the room. Perry sat grading her papers, Danny and Ell had both fallen asleep beside her, Ell's head on Danny's shoulder. Will sat wide-eyed in his chair, looking like he was about to run from the room at any moment. Mattie continued to stay focused on her phone, Laura could only assume she was doing things for work. The idea that Mattie was playing any sort of game that long seemed ludicrous. LaFontaine sat quietly by Laura's side, a comfort that she didn't realize she needed until it was there. 

All of a sudden, voices carried from the hallway through the open door, and everyone watched the door with bated breath. Perry must have poked Danny because her and Ell had both woken up to watch as well. 

Mel's back appeared in the doorway, pulling the head of Carmilla's bed with her. She maneuvered the bed into place in the middle of the room, locking the wheels once she was finished. Laura's eyes stayed on Carmilla's face the entire time. Her eyes were closed, and she seemed to be sleeping. 

“She may be out of it for a little bit. The tests weren't too extensive, but they probably wore her out some,” Mel spoke, seeming to read Laura's mind. “She hasn't gone back into a coma, though. Don't worry about that. The doctors were very happy with the results from the tests. Plenty of brain activity. They said they'd be back during normal hospital hours to go over everything with you.”

“Thank you so much, Mel,” Laura said. “You're the best nurse this hospital has.”

“Don't let Carmilla hear you say that,” Mel said with a small chuckle. “This girl thinks she walks on water.”

Carmilla's face twitched slightly at the comment, and Laura grinned. “What she doesn't know, won't hurt her.”

Mel back out of the room, pulling the door closed as she went. “I'll come check on you at the end of my shift. Don't hesitate to call if you need anything.” The door clicked shut, and the room was silent once again. Seven faces stared at Carmilla.

Laura shifted forward on the cot, and reached out to hold Carmilla's hand. She squeezed softly, and received a gentle tug in response. Carmilla's face twitched again, and her eyes slowly blinked open.

“Well,” she said, her voice still scratchy from disuse, “that was a kick.”

Laura squealed and leaned over the railing of Carmilla's bed to kiss her cheek. Carmilla leaned into the kiss, a small smile on her face. Laura leaned back slightly, and Carmilla turned to looked into her eyes.

“Hey,” she said softly.

“Hey,” Laura responded, unable to keep the grin from spreading across her face. Forgetting about the audience in the room, the two were momentarily lost in each other's gaze.

Until Mattie spoke loudly from her chair, causing Carmilla to jump in shock.

“Mircalla Von Karnstein, how lovely of you to finally join our little soiree.” She stood from her chair and walked over to the side of Carmilla's bed.

“Mattie! You're really here!” Carmilla released Laura's hand and reached across her body to grab Mattie's that was on the other railing of her bed. 

“Don't you “Mattie” me, you little monster,” Mattie said bending down to give Carmilla a hug. “You've had all of us worried half to death. Especially Laura. It takes an act of Congress to get her to leave this hospital.”

Carmilla expression turned to one of guilt, and she glanced over at Laura. “I've been trying to get back to you for so long. I just couldn't find a way out.”

“It's alright, Carm,” Laura said reassuringly.

“Oh, no it's not!” Ell stood from her chair and came to stand by Mattie. “I'm too young to have anxiety like this, Mircalla. Do I even need to tell you how many gray hairs I've found on my head recently? Nine, Carmilla, _nine_.”

“I don't really think we should be giving her a guilt trip over something that wasn't her fa-” Perry started to speak from her chair, but Mattie interrupted her. 

“The accident may not have been her fault, you're right about that, Raggedy Anne, but it certainly could have been avoided if she had never gotten that death trap in the first place.”

“Always so worried about looking good for the ladies, Mircalla. You've got a perfectly fine _lady_ now, why did you have to keep taking that thing out?” Ell chimed in.

“That's not fair, I liked riding it with her,” Laura said, trying to defend Carmilla. “I never asked her to get rid of it. I didn't want her to.”

“We've been telling her for years to get rid of it, Laura,” Mattie snapped. “She wouldn't have even if you had asked her to.”

“I think that's enough, you two,” Will had risen from his chair, and was approaching Carmilla's bed. “She's been through enough, and we don't need to start berating her the second she gets back to her room. She needs rest, and yelling at her isn't going to give her that.”

Carmilla looked at Will gratefully. “You've actually stepped foot inside a hospital, and you don't seem to be having anxiety. I'm so proud of you.”

Ell scoffed. “You should have been here fifteen minutes ago. I thought he was going to rip the arms off of the chair he was sitting in.”

“And that annoying way his leg was bouncing!” Mattie laughed.

Will rolled his eyes. “I sure have missed being around all of you together,” he said sarcastically.

“I wasn't joking when I said that I'm proud of you,” Carmilla said. “I know this isn't easy on you, and I'm really glad that you're here. It-it really means a lot to have you all show support for me.” She looked around the room, and Laura could swear that there were tears in her eyes, not that she would ever point it out. Carmilla's eyes locked with Danny's, and her eyes narrowed to glare across the room.

“Xena.”

“Fang Face.”

The two girls glared at each other, before grinning. “Thanks for finally waking up,” Danny said.

“I didn't do it for you, Clifford.”

Danny rolled her eyes. “I bet you say that to all the ladies.”

Carmilla winked at her, and looked over at LaF who was sitting quietly next to Laura. “Why the hell are you so quiet, Ginger One? I thought you'd be driving me insane with questions about what it was like to be in a coma. Claiming, of course, that you wanted to know for science.”

LaFontaine pursed their lips, and glanced at Perry out of the corner of their eye. Their shoulders slumped, and they sighed heavily. “I was given a lecture on the way here about how you need to rest, and that I shouldn't bother you so soon after coming to.”

“I'll let you ask me one question tonight, as long as it's simple.”

LaFontaine opened their mouth eagerly, but Perry cleared her throat before they could speak. “LaFontaine, no!”

Their mouth snapped shut, and they looked over at Perry, who was glaring at them. They pouted, and turned back to look at Carmilla. She gave them a ghost of a nod, encouraging them to ask the question anyway.

“LaFontaine, yes!” they exclaimed, causing everyone in the room, including Perry, to laugh. “Okay, simple question. Does that mean I get to ask you more later?”

“LaFontaine,” Perry said warningly.

“I might let you ask me more when I'm out of the hospital. For now, though, I'd like to try to not think about how I spent the last two months.”

“Right, of course,” LaF said with a nod. “So the one question that's really been driving me crazy. Could you hear us talking to you?”

Carmilla opened her mouth to respond, but closed it with a confused look on her face. “All the questions you could have asked, and you pick that one? Seriously?”

LaFontaine shrugged, keeping their eyes trained on Carmilla while they waited for a response. 

Carmilla sighed, and glanced over at Laura. “I could hear Laura. I'm not even sure how far into the coma it started. One moment it was silent, and then the next, it just...wasn't. I could hear her talking, breathing, sleeping. Everything. It helped keep me sane.” 

Laura leaned forward to kiss Carmilla on the cheek. “I felt so silly talking to you this whole time, but knowing that it helped you-I'm so glad that I did.”

“Cupcake, you have no idea.” Carmilla turned and gave Laura a quick kiss on the lips before she continued answering LaFontaine's question. “Somewhere near the end, I started to hear Mattie, as well. I don't even know how that started. I didn't really hear her in the same way that I heard Laura. Laura's voice was-well it was louder, clearer. Mattie's started as a whisper and grew the longer I heard her. Honestly, it started just as little bits of conversation between you two, and that was confusing enough on it's own. I wasn't sure how you two had come to meet, let alone converse with each other. Obviously I wasn't aware of what had happened to me. I didn't even remember until Laura brought it to my attention after I woke up.” 

“But you didn't hear any one else?” LaFontaine asked.

“Not a single one of you. I guessed enough that you were around, though, just from different things that I heard Laura and Mattie saying. It was comforting to know that Laura wasn't alone. Sometimes she just sounded so devastated. I ached to be with her. To make her feel better. I liked knowing that she had someone there.”

“What was it like to come out of-”

“That's enough, LaFontaine,” Perry said, standing from her chair and stopping the rest of the question from being asked. “Carmilla said one question, and you've asked it. I think we should head home, let her and Laura get some sleep. I have a feeling they're going to have a busy day.” 

LaFontaine looked disappointed, but nodded in agreement. “You're probably right, Perr. Let's go home.” They gave Laura a quick, one-armed hug, and stood from the cot. “Let us know what the doctors say when they come in, okay?”

“You know I will,” Laura said, smiling up at the two redheads standing at the foot of Carmilla's bed. “Thank you both for showing up. I wasn't expecting you to when I sent out that message. I just wanted to let you know what was going on.”

“Sweetie,” Perry said in a motherly voice, “we've been here with you every step of the way. There was no way in hell we were going to let you make this step on your own.” She bent down and wrapped her arms around Laura's shoulders. “We'll come up tomorrow after both of us get off of work.”

“Drive safe, ginger twins. See you tomorrow,” Carmilla said as she gave them a small wave.

LaFontaine placed their hand over their heart mockingly. “Ahw, you do care about us.”

Carmilla rolled her eyes, “Don't push it,”she said with a grin.

LaFontaine grinned back at her, and followed Perry out the door.

Ell looked over at Danny who was nodding off in her chair. “We should probably head out, too. I just wanted to see for myself that you were awake.”

“And to give me shit for going into a coma in the first place, can't forget that.”

“Yeah, well. Now that I know this wasn't just some fabrication of Laura's distraught mind, we can leave, and maybe I'll actually get some sleep before work.”

Carmilla eyed Ell suspiciously. “You keep saying “we”. Who the hell is part of your “we”, Ell?”

“Oh,” Ell said with a sly smile, “I forgot you weren't in the room to hear that announcement.”

Carmilla raised an eyebrow. “Please don't say what I think you're about to say.”

“Danny and I are-”

“I swear if you tell me that you two are married, or about to be married, I'm going straight back into my coma where it's nice and safe. Away from this-from all of this,” she waved her left hand in the air, the fingers on her right making the same sweeping motion.

“Well if you would shut your big mouth for one minute and actually give me a chance to tell you-”

“You're pregnant. You're pregnant with Xena's baby somehow. It's a fucking miracle baby. Science made amazing discoveries in the two months that I was out, and you're going to have to push a baby Hagrid out of your-”

Laura reached over and covered Carmilla's mouth with her hand, effectively stopping the rest of her sentence from being said.

“Carmilla, would you just let her finish?”

Ell grinned over at Laura, “Thanks, Laur. Anyway, now that big mouth can't say anything,” she took a deep breath, glancing at Danny again who was now wide awake and had been watching the exchange with a nervous expression on her face. “Danny and I are gal pals.”

Carmilla furrowed her brow, and Laura increased the pressure of her hand on her mouth when she felt her lips begin to part again. 

“Gal pals?” Danny said sounding confused. “I thought that we were girlfriends. Is that-is that not what we are? Because you just made it seem like we're just friends that happen to be girls and hang out all the time and do each other's nails or something.”

“No, Danny,” Ell started, “that's not what I-”

“I don't like to have my nails done, and I sure as shit can't braid your hair.”

“Danny, I wasn't saying that we're just fri-”

“We have sex, Ell. Sex. Intimate, passionate sex. With a lot of eye contact. Before we came up here, we had sex. You answered Laura's phone call naked with me beside you. _Also naked._ Because we had just had sex, and fell asleep holding each other. Naked. Girls that are just friends-gal pals don't have sex, Ell. I changed your name in my phone and even put cute little emojis with it. Now you're saying that we're just fucking _gal pals_? I can't believe-”

“Danny, for the love of god, shut the hell up already!” Mattie hissed. “She wasn't saying that you're just friends, you dimwit.”

Danny opened her mouth to respond, and closed it again quickly. Her face turned a dark shade of crimson, and Laura worried that she was going to faint from the sudden rush of blood to her head. The room was silent, for a moment until Carmilla burst out laughing. Laura jumped, not realizing that, during Danny's outburst, her hand had fallen from Carmilla's mouth.

“You thought-you honestly thought she meant-that was just-I can't believe you-” she took a deep breath to try to stop the laughter that was bursting out of her. “I've never seen someone get so angry because they thought they had just been friend zoned.” Another giggle bubbled out of her mouth, and she coughed to cover up the noise.

“Right, well now that I'm sufficiently embarrassed, and my _girlfriend_ is as well, I think it's time we leave.” Ell bent down and kissed the top of Carmilla head. “I'll see you tomorrow, loser. Thanks for finally waking up.”

Carmilla quickly grabbed Ell's hand in her own. “Hey, I'm happy you're happy.”

“Ugh, gross. Don't show me affection just because you've been in a coma for two months,” she said with a huge smile on her face. She looked over her shoulder at Danny, who was now standing by the door with a sheepish expression on her face. “She does make me pretty happy, though. Even if she can be a bit slow on the uptake at times.”

“And she'd better continue to make you happy, or she's going to have to answer to a lot of people,” Will said as he drew himself up to his full height. His head barely cleared Danny's shoulder, but the expression on his face was intimidating enough on it's own.

“I don't have any plans of doing otherwise,” Danny snapped back.

“Good. Don't make any,” Mattie glared over at Danny.

“Whoa guys, let's tone it down a little,” Laura said from the cot. “They are two consenting adults who are in a relationship together. No need to start a smack down in the middle of the hospital room.”

Everyone turned to look at Laura. One by one, they realized how thick the tension in the air had gotten with just a few comments. They all let out a few nervous laughs, feeling the tension ease out of the room as they did. 

“Right, now that that's out of the way,” Ell said clapping her hands together. She gave a small smile to everyone, and turned to face Danny. “Let's go, babe.” They linked their hands together, and walked out of the room, disappearing down the hallway. 

“I should actually head home, too. Have to be up early, and I think I've had enough of this hospital for one day,” Will chuckled nervously. His overconfident attitude had vanished when Danny and Ell had walked out the door only to be replaced with the anxiety he felt at being in the hospital. 

He stepped around Mattie who was still standing at Carmilla's bedside. “I'm glad you're awake, Kitty. Even though I haven't been here all that much, I haven't been able to stop worrying about you.”

Carmilla reached over to give Will a hug as he bent down to her. “Don't feel bad about it, I understand why you weren't here. Actually, I didn't even realize you weren't here, but I'm okay with it. You showed up tonight, and really that's all that matters.”

“I would love to say that I'll come see you before they release you, but I don't want to lie. I probably won't,” Will said causing Carmilla to let out a loud laugh.

“Don't sweat it. You can drive me crazy when I get out of this prison.”

“You can count on it.” Will gave Mattie a quick hug, and waved to Laura across Carmilla's bed. “I still would like to know what the doctors say about her tests, even if I won't be coming up here.”

Laura smiled at him. “Of course I'll let you know.”

Will returned Laura's smile and turned to walk out of the room. The three left in the room watched his retreating back for a moment without speaking.

“If you two don't mind,” Mattie began, “I think I might hang out here for a little while. There's no way I'm going to be able to go to sleep if I go back home, and I don't like the idea of laying in bed awake for hours until I have to get ready for work.”

“I don't mind at all, Mattie,” Carmilla said quickly.

“You can stay as long as you want,” Laura agreed. “You know you're always welcome. Even though I have Carm to keep me company, I still enjoy yours.”

“How about we watch a movie, then?” Mattie suggested.

“Oh!” Laura said excitedly, “can we watch-”

“No, absolutely not, cupcake,” Carmilla cut her off. “I am not getting stuck watching another one of your musicals. I'm awake. I have a say, and I say no. There was no way for me to argue it before, but I can now, and I'm putting my foot down.”

Laura crossed her arms, and sat back against the wall. “Fine. I'll let you two argue over what we're going to watch then.”

Carmilla turned to Mattie with a questioning look.

“We don't really have many choices, angel pants. Gidget brought all of the movies, so it's either something she brought, or late night cable which can be,” Mattie shuttered, “frightening.”

Carmilla sighed. “Alright, fine. But no musicals, cutie.”

Laura squealed in excitement, and jumped up from the cot. She rushed over to the bag that she had filled with her entire movie collection. She dug through the bag for a few minutes until she found just what she was looking for. 

“This will be perfect!” she said in a sing song voice. 

Carmilla and Mattie exchanged worried glances. Laura turned on the DVD player, and inserted the disk into the open slot on the front. 

The menu screen came up, and Laura heard two loud groans coming from behind her.

“Cupcake, no.”

“Doesn't this count as a musical, though?” Mattie asked.

“Just because there's singing, doesn't mean it's a musical,” Laura clarified.

“I think I'd rather watch a musical, honestly,” Carmilla said with another groan.

“This movie is a classic!” Laura argued.

“I think it has to be an older movie to be considered a classic, Laura,” Mattie said. 

“I think it has to actually be enjoyable to be a classic,” Carmilla added.

“Whatever, you two let me pick, and this is what I want to watch.” She pressed play, and scrambled back on to the cot, setting up her pillows behind her back so she could lay back and watch the movie in comfort. 

The movie started, and Laura grinned widely when the opening music started. She had seen this movie so many times that she could practically quote it all, and she definitely wasn't above singing along with the musical numbers. Pitch Perfect was really one of her all time favorite movies.

\--

An hour in, Laura looked over at Carmilla and Mattie. The grin hadn't left her face since the movie started, and the longer they watched, the bigger it got. She wasn't sure she saw correctly the first time it happened, but when she saw it out of the corner of her eye the second time, she turned her head quickly so she wouldn't miss it.

Mattie and Carmilla were both mouthing the lyrics to the songs that the groups were singing in the movie. Mattie wasn't so noticeable when she did it. She was just barely moving her lips. Laura thought it could even be a trick of the dark lighting in the room. 

Carmilla on the other hand was completely getting into the songs. At one point, she even brought her left hand up to her mouth and used it as a microphone while she mouthed the lyrics. She caught Laura watching her, and gave her a big smile and a wink before she returned her attention to the movie. 

Laura pushed herself deeper into her pillows, holding in the squeal that threatened to escape from her mouth. This night had definitely made a turn for the better. Things could only go up from here.

Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This. Chapter. Was. Fun.  
> Am I saying that just to convince myself that I actually enjoyed writing all of this dialogue? Possibly. But I really do enjoy making everyone interact. So glad I had some time off from work to get this chapter done. I hate being so busy all of the time! But anyway, we're not here to talk about how much free time I DON'T have. My favorite part about this chapter? Danny's freak out. I was giggling while I wrote the entire thing. Also, I know I said I would write frustrated, healing Carmilla in this, but all of the dialogue took a lot out of me, and this chapter was already long enough. Next chapter, though! Hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> And, as always, don't be afraid to stop by and say hello!  
> micanickel.tumblr.com
> 
> P.S. Special thanks to Deanna for keeping me focused and NOT DISTRACTED AT ALL while I wrote this. You da best, burn durn.
> 
> P.P.S. No but seriously, I asked her what I should do tonight, and she immediately said "CHAPTER" so..it's really because of her that I wrote/finished this. 
> 
> P.P.P.S. Can I dedicate a chapter to someone? If so, this one goes to you!


	20. Making Arrangements

“Carm, if you just stop being so difficult this wouldn't be so-”

“I am _not_ being difficult,” Carmilla argued, cutting Laura off. “These idiots just have no idea what they're doing!” Carmilla saw Laura cut her eyes at her from across the room, and she hunched her shoulders. 

“You could be a little nicer, you know?” Laura said. “They're trying their best, and you're not making it easy on them.”

“This is just awful,” Carmilla leaned back against the pillows stacked on her bed that were helping her sit up on the edge. “I can't do anything for myself anymore.” She ran her fingers through her hair and let out a frustrated sigh. 

“Hey,” Laura said soothingly, “don't get so discouraged. You're doing just fine.” She walked over to Carmilla's side, and sat down on the edge of the bed beside her. “The doctors said that this would take time.”

Carmilla scoffed. “Yeah, time. They just neglected to mention that I would be learning how to do all the basic human functions again. Like walk and feed myself.”

“You were in a major accident, Carm, no one is expecting you to be better after a week of physical therapy. Plus,” Laura added teasingly, “I think you feed yourself just fine with your left hand.”

Carmilla looked over at her and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, tell that to the three shirts that I ruined today because I dropped my food all over them.”

“I think that saying you ruined them might be a bit of an exaggeration,” Laura said laughing. “Maybe if you hadn't wanted to change each time you got one little drop of soup on your shirt, you wouldn't have gone through three.”

“I'm not going to sit around in a dirty shirt, Laura.”

“I never expected you to, but if you had just stayed in one until you were done-”

“Can we just not talk about it anymore?” Carmilla turned to the pillows behind her and began awkwardly shifting them to the head of the bed. “I really don't want to discuss my failures anymore today.”

Laura sighed and moved to help Carmilla with the pillows. “Just try to be nicer to the therapists. I know you're frustrated with your progress, but it doesn't help when you keep yelling at them.”

“Tell them to do their jobs better, and I wouldn't have to yell,” Carmilla mumbled under her breath. Laura pulled the last pillow out from behind her, and she fell backwards across the bed without the aid of the pillows holding her up. Carmilla struggled to sit up again, but her left arm and leg just sort of flailed in place until she gave up with a whine. “And please get me in this fucking bed right. I just want to lay down.”

She felt Laura step between her legs, careful to not bump her right one that was still in the cast. “Give me your hand,” Laura said holding hers out. 

Carmilla blindly reached up and took hold of Laura's. Soon enough, she was sitting up on the edge of the bed again. “Thanks, cupcake,” Carmilla said softly.

Laura smiled at her, and leaned forward to kiss her forehead. “You're really doing great. All the doctors have been amazed with what you've accomplished so far.”

“I can't even use the bathroom by myself,” Carmilla pouted. 

“Just give it-”

“Time!” Carmilla snapped. “Give it fucking time! Jesus, I know!”

Laura took a small step back from Carmilla, still holding her in place so she wouldn't fall backwards again. Carmilla immediately felt bad about her outburst when she looked into Laura's eyes and saw them swimming with tears. 

She reached up with her free hand to cup Laura's cheek, but stopped when Laura pulled her head away. Her hand fell limply to her side. “Cupcake, I'm sorry I-”

“It's fine,” Laura said quickly. “Let's just get you settled in bed.”

A few awkward minutes later, Carmilla was leaning back against her pillows again with her legs stretched out along the bed. Laura had gone into the bathroom to get ready for bed, and Carmilla was regretting her anger more with each second she was left alone. 

This wasn't Laura's fault, none of it was. It wasn't her fault that Carmilla had gotten in the accident. It wasn't her fault that Carmilla had gone into a coma. It wasn't her fault that Carmilla couldn't seem to do anything right. Carmilla heard the water in the bathroom shut off, and she wiped the tears that had fallen down her face away. 

“Get it together, Karnstein,” she said to herself. “Now is not the time to fall apart.”

The light clicked off in the bathroom, and Laura walked out. The room was dark, but Carmilla could tell that Laura's cheeks were red and puffy causing her guilt to grow even more. Laura started roughly shoving her bathroom things into the dufflebag that sat open on the chair by the bathroom.

“Hey,” Carmilla said softly. She saw Laura's shoulders stiffen, and she continued speaking. “Wanna come cuddle and see if Olivia is going to run away with Jake this season?”

Laura turned around to face Carmilla with a confused expression on her face. “Have you been watching Scandal without me?”

Carmilla tried to look sheepish, but she couldn't help the grin that was slowly spreading across her face. “Well I need something to do while you're gone.”

Laura slowly walked over to the cot that was still beside Carmilla's bed. She climbed on it and crawled across towards Carmilla, eyes never leaving hers as she moved closer. “You know we're supposed to watch that together.”

Carmilla's eyes widened, and she felt a familiar heat pooling in her abdomen at the look on Laura's face. “Y-yes I know, but you've already seen everything that's on Netflix, so I didn't think you would mind.” Was she seriously nervous?

“Says the girl who was so angry that I finished Gilmore Girls without her.” Laura had crawled up the rest of the bed until she was hovering over Carmilla. She had carefully placed her hands on either side of Carmilla's head, her hair acting as a curtain around both of their faces. 

Carmilla gulped. “We can rewatch all of the episodes I watched today without you. I don't mind, I really enjoyed them.” Her eyes flickered down to watch Laura lick her lips. _“You may be a little rusty, Karnstein, but you've still got the magic. Just calm down.”_

Laura leaned down to whisper in her ear. “I have other things I'd rather be doing.”

Carmilla tried to steady her breathing as she spoke again. “Am I things?”

Laura's head jerked back, and she looked at Carmilla. “We're in a hospital, be serious.”

“The door's closed, and it's so late.” She absolutely hated how needy her voice sounded. “No one is ever going to come in here.”

Laura looked thoughtful for a second, and, miraculously, she shrugged. “As long as you're sure.”

“I'm positive,” Carmilla said quickly. She was so sure that it was going to take more to convince Laura, but she definitely wasn't about to complain that it hadn't. 

Laura grinned mischievously, and kissed Carmilla slowly. When she deepened the kiss, Carmilla moaned loudly causing Laura to pull back. 

“You know you're going to have to be quiet, Carm.”

“Yes, I know,” Carmilla whined. She puckered her lips and kissed the air. “Kiss me again.”

Laura rolled her eyes playfully, but lowered her head so she could bring their lips together once again. As their kisses intensified, Laura leaned so she was balanced on her right forearm, and Carmilla's breath caught in her throat when she felt Laura's fingers trail softly at the waistband of her sweatpants. 

Laura giggled. “Someone is feeling awfully sensitive,” she mumbled against Carmilla's lips. 

Carmilla growled, and tangled her left hand in Laura's hair, pulling her tighter to against her body. “Just don't stop.”

“I wouldn't dream of it,” Laura sighed.

Carmilla squirmed as Laura's hand dipped beneath her sweatpants, and her fingers brushed against bare skin once again.

“Are you not wearing underwear, Carmilla?” Laura asked sounding both shocked and impressed.

“Don't sound so surprised. You should know by now that I don't like sleeping with them on.”

“I was actually kind of hoping that you had this in mind all night.”

“Creampuff, I had physical therapy a few hours ago,” Carmilla groaned. “Sex was the absolute last thing on my mind until you started crawling on that cot to me.”

“So you didn't have underwear on when you were doing your physical therapy? Carmilla, that is absolutely _scandalous_.”

Carmilla sighed heavily, and her hand moved out of Laura's hair. “I knew we should have just watched the damn show.”

Laura's fingers slid against Carmilla's slick skin, and Carmilla gasped. “We can watch the show another night,” Laura said as she continued to tease her. “Right now, I just want you to spread your legs, and relax.”

Carmilla moved her left leg further towards the edge of the bed, and Laura straddled it. “Your other one, too, Carm.”

Carmilla stared up at her in confusion. “Laura, I can't exactly spread my legs anymore. This cast weighs like nine hundred pounds. I can't move that leg.”

Laura's mouth dropped open, and she seemed momentarily stunned. “Right, of course you can't.” She pulled her hand out from Carmilla's sweatpants and moved so she was kneeling between Carmilla's legs. She placed both hands underneath the massive plaster that was wrapped around Carmilla's right leg, and slowly lifted it in the air. 

“Any day now, cutie,” Carmilla joked. 

“I'm just trying to be careful. I don't want to hurt-” Laura lost her balance and toppled onto Carmilla's body. Her head slammed into Carmilla's ribs, the rest of her weight falling entirely on Carmilla's broken leg. 

Carmilla's vision went black around the edges, and she gasped loudly. Pain spread quickly throughout her body. Her broken ribs were on fire, and she felt like she couldn't breathe. Her leg that hadn't really bothered her since she had woken up from the coma suddenly had sharp pains shooting through it. She closed her eyes tightly and clenched her jaw. _“Fuck, this hurts.”_

The weigh on her body quickly left, but she couldn't open her eyes just yet. When the pain had subsided enough, she opened her eyes again. Laura was sitting at the foot of her cot, knees drawn up to her chest, and eyes wide. She was staring that the door to the hospital room. Carmilla noticed instantly that she was shaking.

“Sweetheart,” Carmilla said, “I'm okay.” Her voice was shaking just as much as Laura's body was, and she knew that Laura would not believe that she wasn't in any sort of pain. 

Laura's eyes snapped to hers, and there were tears in them. “Carm,” she whispered quietly, “I'm so sorry.”

“Hey, it's not your fault,” Carmilla said reassuringly. 

Laura glared at her, the motion causing a few tears to trickle down her face. “I fell on you. It's entirely my fault.”

“I told you that the cast weighs a lot,” Carmilla said trying to get a smile out of Laura. It only increased the glare she was sending to her. 

“I'm going to get your nurse so she can check on you.” Laura stood from the cot and quickly moved to the door. 

“No, please don't,” Carmilla rushed out. “What are you going to tell her? That we were about to have sex, and you fell on top of me? It's only going to cause awkward questions. Just-just come lay down with me. I'm fine.”

Laura stopped moving with her hand frozen on the door handle. “Are you in pain?” she asked in a voice so quiet that it broke Carmilla's heart. She kept her back to Carmilla, still facing the closed door.

“Not any more than I've been feeling since I woke up.”

Laura released her hold on the door handle and turned slowly to face Carmilla. “I didn't mean to-”

“Cupcake, enough,” Carmilla said firmly. “This wasn't your fault.”

Laura pursed her lips tightly, and nodded her head. She sniffed loudly, and more tears appeared in her eyes.

“Come on, come lay down. We can watch Scandal until we both fall asleep.” Carmilla patted the empty spot next to her.

Laura sighed heavily, sniffing again, before she walked around Carmilla's bed and crawled onto the cot. She moved her pillows closer to Carmilla, but stayed far enough away so she wasn't actually touching her. She leaned back against her pillows, and turned the TV on across the room. 

Carmilla stared down at the inches of space between them, trying not to let the slight, but very noticeable, distance upset her. She glanced up to Laura's face, and noticed tears tracks going down her cheeks. She lifted her arm and brushed them away with the back of her hand. 

Laura looked over at her and gave her a small smile. “So,” she asked in a shaky voice, “which episode did you watch last?”

–

Two weeks later, Carmilla was finally released from the hospital. She still had her right leg in a cast, but her arm had completely healed, and the cast was removed a week before she left. 

“I'm not even sure why I have to be pushed out in a wheelchair.”

“Don't be such a sour puss,” Laura said as she guided the wheelchair down the empty hallway. “You know it's hospital policy that patients have to be taken out in them.”

“I can get around perfectly fine with my crutches now,” Carmilla argued. “This is just stupid. I feel like a child.”

Laura stopped pushing the wheelchair and leaned over Carmilla's shoulder. “I like pushing you around, though.”

Carmilla turned her head so she could see Laura, and narrowed her eyes at her. “What, exactly, is enjoyable about this?”

Laura shrugged, and started to push the chair forward once again. “I like taking care of you.”

“I guess that's probably the only perk to this situation,” Carmilla mumbled. She sighed heavily and slouched in the chair. “When are the ginger twins going to bring your stuff over?”

“What do you mean?” Laura asked.

“Well,” Carmilla explained, “they took your things earlier when they left. They'll have to bring it all by the apartment later. Unless you're planning on leaving me so you can get everything you need yourself.”

“I'm not going to need anything, Carm. Everything will be at my apartment.”

“Exactly,” Carmilla said impatiently. “If you're moving in with me, you're going to need your things. I guess the bigger stuff can wait for another day.”

Laura stumbled and the wheelchair jerked to a stop. “Move in with you?”

“Why did you stop walking?” Carmilla asked, twisting around to look at Laura. “And why do you look like you've just seen a ghost? What's going on?”

“You just said-you said that I was moving in with you.”

Carmilla stared at Laura. Her mind was working in overdrive trying to figure out what the hell was going on. All of a sudden, the penny dropped.

“That's not what-I thought that's what we had discussed. I didn't meant that you-if you're not ready, or you don't want to you don't have to. I just figured since my apartment is in such a central location that it'd be for the best. Plus, you said that you wanted to stay with me to take care of me, and I won't be able to get around well by myself for a while so-I shouldn't have assumed that you were just going to move in with me. It was stupid, and I was just jumping to conclusions. Ignore everything I just sa-”

“Carmilla, shut up.” Laura moved around the front of the wheelchair and stood in front of her. “Just shut up.” She bent down and kissed Carmilla passionately. She pulled back and grinned at her. “I'm moving in tomorrow.”

Carmilla felt a grin spreading across her face to match Laura's. “You don't have to if you don't want to. If you think it's too soon or something-”

“Seriously, stop talking,” Laura said. She leaned forward and placed a quick kiss on Carmilla's lips. “I'll run to my apartment after we get you settled at home so I can grab a few things, and then tomorrow, I'll see if I can get some help to get the rest of my stuff.”

Carmilla tried to ignore the fluttering she felt in her chest when Laura referred to her apartment as _home_ , but she couldn't help the blush that was creeping up her face. 

“Yeah, okay. That sounds perfect.”

“Good,” Laura said, the grin never leaving her face. She moved around to the back of the wheelchair and started pushing again. “Let's get you home, gimpy.”

Carmilla crossed her arms and pouted. “You know I hate being called that.”

Laura laughed. “Well if the shoe fits!”

–

Carmilla woke up the next morning to bright room and an empty bed. She sat up, and glanced around the room. A mixture of both dirty and clean clothes littered the floor, but her girlfriend was nowhere in sight. 

“Laura!” she called. She listened for a few moments, and didn't hear anything moving around the apartment, so she figured that Laura wasn't home. She scooted over to the edge of the bed, dragging her nine hundred pound cast along with her, until she could swing her feet off and onto the floor. Her crutches were propped against the wall, just within reach. 

Once she had the crutches secured beneath her arms, she pushed herself up off of the bed. She swayed for a moment, still not completely used to standing upright. “Nice and easy does the trick,” she muttered to herself.

She slowly maneuvered herself to the bedroom door, and leaned all of her weight on her left leg. She reached forward with her right hand and pulled open the door. The bottom of the door knocked against her left crutch, and she started to topple sideways. Her left shoulder slammed into her dresser, and she winced in pain. “These crutches are going to be the fucking death of me, I swear.”

After righting herself, she hobbled out into the living room. Boxes were stacked haphazardly around the room, and the front door was throw wide open.

“What the creeping hell...?”

Grunting sounded from the hallway, and she slowly made her way to the door. When she reached it, she peaked outside, and saw a towering figure with long red hair struggling with a desk. Laura's head appeared on the other side of the desk, and she grinned when she saw Carmilla.

“Hey, sleepyhead!”

“Uhm, cupcake, what's going on?” Carmilla asked hesitantly.

“We're moving my things! We rented a truck this morning, and got everything loaded up!”

“What exactly are you planning to do with all of this?”

“Can you two stop talking for like two minutes so we can get this heavy desk inside, please?” Danny gasped.

Carmilla backed into the apartment, and went to the couch. She sat down on it, and lifted her broken leg onto it. A few seconds later, Danny's back appeared in the doorway. The two girls turned the desk on it's side, and moved it into the now crowded living room. Once they were able to set it down, Laura came and sat on the couch next to Carmilla. She was wearing a pair of short shorts, a tank top, and her hair was tied up in a messy bun. 

“I think we just have one more trip, and everything should be done. I didn't realize that I had so much stuff.” She looked around the room at the boxes and sighed. “We'll just have to make room in your spare bedroom. I figured we could turn it into an office or something for me.”

Carmilla opened her mouth to respond, but quickly shut it when she realized that she didn't really know what to say. Danny must have seen the look on Carmilla's face because she announced that she was going down to the truck to see what else needed to be brought in.

“My landlord was super understanding about letting me out of my lease early,” Laura said once Danny had walked out. “Apparently there have been a ton of people interested in renting from there, so he was more than happy to have an open apartment.”

“That's great, cutie,” Carmilla said. “You think all of your stuff is going to fit in the spare room?”

“Well,” Laura said leaning over to nudge Carmilla's shoulder with her own, “not all of it, obviously. My dad is going to take my bed back to his house and stick it in the spare room there, and he said he'll take my dresser and stuff, too.”

“Laura, that leaves literally everything else in your apartment. We don't need two sets of everything in here. There's not enough room.”

“I know that,” Laura said seriously. “LaF and Perry are going to take my living room furniture because LaFontaine somehow managed to set their couch on fire a few weeks ago, and Kirsch said he's been looking for a new kitchen table. That just leaves my TVs and my bookshelves, really.”

“Yeah, your fifteen bookshelves,” Carmilla muttered.

“I did not have fifteen,” Laura said haughtily. “We can fit one in here, and the rest can go in the spare room.”

“And what do you plan on doing with the furniture that's in my spare room?”

Laura frowned at her. “You literally just have a twin bed in there. My desk will fit perfectly fine against a wall, and the bookshelves can go on the sides of the door. It'll be fine.”

“We can get rid of the bed if you want to,” Carmilla suggested. She thought maybe it'd be good if she were willing to sacrifice some of her things to make room for more of Laura's. 

“No, it can stay,” Laura said. “You never know when we'll get in a fight, and you'll need to sleep on it.” She winked at her, and stood up from the couch again. “I'd better get back downstairs. The desk was the last of what was in the truck, so we have to make another trip back to my apartment.”

“I won't be going anywhere,” Carmilla said gesturing to her leg that was still propped up on the couch.

Laura grinned and gave her a quick kiss. “I kind of like that you're stuck here. I'll probably be gone a little while. We're going to go ahead and take all of my furniture to everyone while we have the truck.”

“Okay. Love you, cutie.”

“Love you, too, Carm.” She bent over to give Carmilla another kiss, and walked out the door, pulling it closed behind her. 

–

Laura walked out of the apartment building and made her way to the moving truck that was parked in the lot. Danny was already sitting behind the drivers' seat, so she climbed into the passenger seat.

When she was settled, Danny turned to her. “How did that go?”

Laura furrowed her brow and turned to face her. “What are you talking about?”

“Well,” Danny began, “she seemed a little upset that her apartment is filled with boxes.”

“Oh, that,” Laura said waving her hand in the air, “she just doesn't like clutter, which is so weird considering she's the messiest person I know.”

“She seemed a little upset that you were moving all of your stuff in.”

“Danny, she's the one that asked me to move in. Hell, she didn't even ask me, she just assumed that I was.”

Danny started the truck and backed out of the parking spot. “I don't know, Hollis. She seemed a little angry to me.”

“That's just Carmilla. She needs some time to get used to the idea, but I think once I explained that not everything I own will be coming into her apartment, she felt better about the situation.”

“If you're sure..” Danny trailed off.

“I'm positive,” Laura said confidently. “This is going to be the best decision of my life. Carmilla's the one.”

Danny shrugged and pulled the truck out of the parking lot, heading towards Laura's old apartment.

–

They pulled up outside of Laura's dad's house an hour later, the back of the truck now loaded with her old bedroom furniture.

“Let me just run to the door and unlock it so we can start moving everything in.”

She jumped out of the truck as Danny put it in park, and ran to the front door. She fished her keys out of her backpack and unlocked the door. Swinging it open wide, she hollered into the house, “Dad, Danny and I are here with the bedroom stuff!”

“I'll be right down,” Laura's dad called from somewhere upstairs.

Laura jumped down the porch steps, and jogged back to the truck where Danny was waiting.

“He said he's coming down, but we can go ahead and start moving this stuff inside if you want.”

Danny nodded and pulled open the tailgate to the truck. She grabbed one of Laura's nightstands in her arms, and walked towards the door with it. 

“You don't need any help with that?” Laura asked frantically. Sure, this wasn't her bedroom furniture anymore, but she still didn't want anything broken.

“Laur,” Danny said exasperatedly, “we went through all of this when we were loading it into the truck. The nightstands aren't that heavy, I've got it on my own.”

Laura watched her walk towards the front door, feeling helpless as she stood by the truck by herself. She was sure that she could carry the other nightstand perfectly fine by herself, but her arms weren't long enough to get a good grip on it. 

Danny made it to the front door just as her dad stepped out onto the porch. The two greeted each other, and Mark stepped aside so Danny could carry the nightstand into the house and up the stairs. 

“Hey, little bit!” her dad hollered across the yard. He walked down the porch steps and began walking towards her.

Laura broke out into a full out run, and launched herself into his open arms. He grunted slightly when her body slammed into his, but he picked her up nonetheless, and spun her around in a circle. He set her back on her feet, and ruffled her hair. 

“How have you been, kiddo?”

“Great, Dad,” Laura answered with a grin. “Sorry it's been so long since I've been to visit. Things have been kind of hectic lately.”

Mark Hollis waved his hand in the air, brushing off her apology. “Don't sweat it. How's Carmilla?”

“She's doing so much better, and seems to be really happy that she's out of that hospital.”

“Well you and I both know that those places kind of suck the life out of you. She didn't want to come hang out with me today?” His expression fell, and Laura felt a slight pang in her chest.

“The ride home yesterday took a lot out of her. I think she just wanted to hang around the apartment,” Laura said, hoping that her explanation was enough. 

Mark nodded in acknowledgment. “Yeah, she's going to need a lot of rest. I know this is a big step for you, Laura, but I'm really proud of you for being willing to take it.”

“What do you mean?”

“Moving in with her,” Mark clarified. “You're taking a leap of faith, and while I can't lie and say that I'm not nervous about the situation, I think it's great that you're doing it. Carmilla is-well she's certainly something special, isn't she?”

Laura suddenly like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She hadn't realized just how much her dad's opinion of the move meant to her, and the fact that he approved meant the world to her. 

“She really is special, Dad. I don't know how I got so lucky.”

He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, and pulled her into a tight hug again. “You both got lucky, in my opinion, kiddo.” He let her go and stepped back to glance at the truck. “Now let's get to moving this stuff inside. I don't even know if Danny knew where to take the nightstand, so I hope she's not just standing at the top of the stairs waiting for us to co-”

“I was for a little while, but I figured it out on my own,” Danny said as she walked across the yard to them. “I hope you don't mind. I sort of just started opening doors as I walked down the hallway.”

Laura glanced at her dad, but he was grinning over at Danny. “I don't mind at all, I'm just grateful that you were willing to help out Laura.”

Danny grinned back at him. “I know she'd do the same for me in a heartbeat.”

Mark nodded, and looked down at Laura. “Yeah, she's a good kid.”

“Dad, I'm not a kid anymore, and I'd appreciate if you two didn't talk about me like I wasn't standing right here.”

Mark held his hands up in the air. “It wasn't like we were saying anything bad about you, don't get upset.”

Laura rolled her eyes, and started walking back to the truck with Danny and Mark following behind her. They were both whispering, and she turned on her heel to glare at them.

“What was that?” she asked.

“Oh, nothing,” her dad said innocently.

“We were just discussing this lovely weather that we're having today,” Danny said.

Laura looked up at the cloudy sky above her, and glared back down at her father and Danny. “I'm sure that's exactly what you were doing.”

Mark laughed and ruffled Laura's hair for the second time since they had shown up. “You've never looked more like your mother than you do right now.”

Laura's expression softened, and she rolled her eyes playfully. “This stuff isn't going to move itself.” She climbed into the bed of the truck, and began sliding the other nightstand towards the edge where Danny stood. When it was close enough for her to grab it, she took it in her arms, and walked towards the house with it again.

Her dad was watching in amazement. “You sure you want to move in with Carmilla?”

“Dad!” Laura said as she punched him in the shoulder.

“What? I was kidding!” he said with a grin as he rubbed the spot where Laura had hit him.

“You love Carmilla!” Laura said angrily.

“I know I do! I said I was only kidding.”

“You better have been. She'd be so upset if she heard you say that.”

“Well, I'll just have to make sure that she never does.” In true Mark Hollis fashion, he stuck out his tongue at her. “Now, start sliding that dresser down towards me so we can get it inside.”

A half hour later, all of Laura's old bedroom furniture was set up in her dad's spare room, and the three were standing out on the porch as they said goodbye.

“Don't be such a stranger, kiddo,” her dad said as he wrapped his arms around her.

“I promise, I won't,” Laura said, voice muffled by the fact that her face was smashed into his chest. He let her go, and she stepped back. “I should have a lot more free time now that Carmilla's out of the hospital. Next time I come over, I'll bring her with me. Maybe we can play Monopoly again.”

“I thought you said last time that you didn't want to play that game with us again,” Mark said teasingly.

“If you two had just let me win, then I wouldn't have had to say that.”

Mark smiled at her. “You did end up winning.”

“Not the way I wanted to,” Laura argued.

“That again? Okay, fine. Bring her over, and we can have a rematch,” Mark consented. He turned to face Danny and opened his arms wide. 

She stepped into them, and gave him a quick hug. “It was great to see you again, Mr. Hollis.”

“You don't be a stranger, either. Maybe you can come over with Laura and Carmilla. We'll have a big game night.”

“Playing Monopoly with Fang Face does not sound like my idea of a good time,” Danny laughed.

“Fang Face?” Laura's dad asked, sounding confused.

“Carmilla and Danny have a weird friendship, Dad. Don't try to read too much into it. I don't even understand it myself.”

“Alright, Hollis,” Danny said, “we've still got to get your living room stuff over to LaF and Perry's, and then take your table to Kirsch, so we'd better get going before it gets too late.”

“Right,” Laura said with a curt nod. “Love you, Dad.”

“Love you, too, kiddo.”

Laura and Danny stepped off of the porch and walked across the yard to the truck. Laura climbed into the front seat this time, and she quickly started the truck and put it in reverse. She backed out of the driveway, waving to her dad who was still standing on the front porch. 

–

 **Laura:** Danny and I are leaving the Kirsch's now. The truck is all loaded up with the living room stuff! We'll be there shortly!

 **PerrBear:** LaFontaine said that their body is ready. Whatever that means. See you in a bit!

Laura navigated through the city towards LaFontaine and Perry's house. When she reached their street, she pulled over on the side of the road. 

“What are you doing, Hollis?” Danny asked.

“We're going to have to back this into their driveway, and I know I can't do it. So I'm pulling over so we can switch!”

Danny stared at her for a minute, but sighed, and opened the passenger door. They walked around the front of the truck and climbed back in. 

“It's not that hard to back a truck in somewhere, Laura. I could have helped.”

“I don't feel like fighting with that right now. I'm just ready to get this over with so I can get back home. I feel awful leaving Carmilla alone all day.”

“I'm sure she's doing just fine on her own.”

“I know,” Laura said sadly. “I just miss her, that's all.”

Danny reached over, and pushed Laura's shoulder. “Laura Hollis, you are the biggest sap I've ever seen. You've only been away from her for a few hours.”

“I really can't believe that this is all happening,” Laura said, her eyes wide and voice filled with wonder. “I'm moving in with Carmilla Karnstein, my girlfriend. Carmilla is my girlfriend, and we're going to live together.”

“You've been saying that all day. You think it would've sunk in by now.”

Laura looked over at Danny, and gave her a small smile. “I don't think it's ever really going to sink in fully. It's scary to be this happy, Danny. I feel like something could go wrong at any moment.”

“Hey,” Danny said sounding serious, “don't talk like that. The two of you have been through enough. Nothing else bad is going to happen.”

“You're right, I know,” Laura said with a nod. “It's just scary.”

“I know the feeling. Everything seems to be happening pretty quickly with Ell and I, but I wouldn't have it any other way.”

“You think the two of you will be moving in together anytime soon?”

Danny's head turned quickly to Laura. “I-what? Did she say that she wants to or something?”

Laura laughed. “No, Danny, calm down. She hasn't said anything, but I know that the two of you really care about each other, and you did just say that things are moving quickly for you so I just assumed-”

“I wasn't talking about that. We just started referring to each other as 'girlfriends'. Moving in together is a long way down the road.”

They were now in front of LaFontaine and Perry's house. Danny skillfully backed the truck into their driveway and shut it off. 

“That probably sounded harsh. I just meant that my feelings for her are growing pretty quickly, and that really scares me.”

“Falling in love is probably the scariest thing in the world,” Laura admitted, “but it's so amazing to experience. The butterflies, the stolen glances, the gentle kisses.” She sighed and leaned her head back against the headrest. “Everything just seems brighter, and softer with Carmilla in my life. I never thought that I would feel this way. I literally feel like I'm in a dream every day of my life, and one day I'm going to wake up and realize that none of this is real.”

“You're not dreaming, Laur,” Danny reassured her.

“No, I know,” Laura said quickly. “That's just how happy I've been. You know your life is truly amazing when you'd rather be awake and living it, and not spending your time daydreaming of something better.”

Someone knocked on the window next to Laura, and she jumped at the sound. She looked over to see who it was and saw LaF's smiling face looking at her through the glass. Laura pushed open the door and climbed out of the truck.

“Sorry to startle you, L,” LaF said as they bounced on their heels. “I just saw you two pull up a few minutes ago, and I was waiting for you to get out of the truck, but you didn't so...”

“We were just talking,” Laura said as she gave LaFontaine a hug. “Sorry we kept you waiting.”

“No apologies necessary, sweetie,” Perry walked over and wrapped her arms around Laura. “We're both just so thankful that you were willing to give us your old furniture.”

“Yeah,” LaFontaine chimed in. “You're a real lifesaver.”

Laura smiled at the two redheads standing in front of her. “I'm always happy to help my friends out. Plus, I know Perry was going crazy without living room furniture.”

Perry glared over at LaFontaine momentarily before looking back to Laura. “Well if someone hadn't been experimenting in the house again-”

“It was an accident, Perr,” they said quickly. “You know I didn't mean to. It was a total accident. I'm not even sure how it happened. If I could just replicate what I was doing, maybe I'd be able to figure out what went wro-”

“NO!” Laura, Perry and Danny all said at the same time. 

LaFontaine jumped about a foot in the air at their sudden outburst.

“You're not experimenting in the house anymore. Especially with Laura's furniture in there,” Perry said angrily.

“It's not my furniture anymore,” Laura said. “It's yours now.”

“Even more reason for you not to do any experimenting,” Perry said. “I won't be so understanding if you set another couch on fire.”

LaFontaine hung their head. “I'll keep all of my experimenting in the dining room, then.”

“You have a perfectly fine laboratory to work in! Why can't you do it all there?” Perry's voice was reaching an inhumanly possibly high pitch now.

“They won't let me do everything that I want there! So many rules and regulations to follow. It's absolutely ridiculous.”

“Maybe those rules and regulations are put in place for a reason. Maybe they're there so you won't, oh I don't know, set a couch on fire? Did you ever think about that?”

“Okay,” Laura said interrupting the argument, “I can see that this is still a sore subject between the two of you, so Danny and I are going to start moving everything inside, and you two can just-” she motioned with her hands between the two gingers, and backed away slowly. Danny shot her a grateful look, and they moved to the back of the truck.

As they were carrying the coffee table up the porch steps, Perry rushed by them and walked into the living room. When the came around the corner, she was standing in the middle of the empty room with her hands on her hips.

“You can just put it right here for now,” she said. “I want to get everything in here before I decide how I want it all set up.”

“Sounds great, Perr,” Danny grunted as they carried the table where she directed.

They placed it on the floor, and Laura looked up to see Perry grinning at her.

“What?” she asked.

“I honestly can't express how much this means to me. I've been so angry with LaF, and I really have felt bad. I just haven't been able to move past my anger. But I feel so much better already, even with just a coffee table in here.”

“I'm just glad that I was able to do something to help,” Laura said returning her smile. “And I really do love the living room set, so it's awesome giving it to friends because I know that I'll be able to see it all of the time.”

“You say that like it's a pet or something,” Perry said giving her a questioning look. 

Laura just shrugged at her, and followed Danny out of the house to help carry the rest of the furniture inside.

–

Laura finally pulled back into the parking lot at the apartment almost two hours later. She grabbed the back of takeout that was in her passenger seat, and climbed out of her car. The rest of the afternoon consisted of getting the furniture into LaF and Perry's apartment, and returning the moving truck back to the rental company.

They had left her car at the rental place, so once the truck was returned, she dropped Danny off at her apartment, and headed to Carmilla's favorite takeout place to get dinner for the two of them. She hadn't had time to talk to Carmilla all day, and she was anxious to get inside.

When she walked in the apartment, all of the lights were turned on, and music was blaring from the guest bedroom. 

“Honey, I'm home!” she called jokingly.

Empty boxes were tossed around the room, and her bookshelves and desk were nowhere to be found.

“Carmilla, what did you do?” She set the bag of food on the coffee table, and walked into the guest bedroom. Carmilla was laid out on the bed, fast asleep. Laura's desk was pushed against the far wall with a chair tucked beneath it. Her bookshelves lined the walls of the room, each filled with her collection of books and DVDs. 

She stepped into the middle of the room, turning in a circle as she took in everything that she was seeing. “How in the world did she get all of this done?” she asked herself quietly.

Carmilla stirred on the bed behind her, and she turned quickly to face her. Her eyes slowly blinked open, and she smiled up at Laura.

“Hey, cupcake,” she said, her voice still raspy with sleep. 

“Carmilla, how did you do all of this? I hope you didn't hurt yourself.”

Carmilla pushed herself into a seated position on the bed, and shrugged nonchalantly. “I may have enlisted the help of two very lovely women who adore you almost as much as I do.”

“Who came to help? Everyone else was working today, that's why Danny and I had to do it all alone. LaF and Perry had just gotten off right before we headed to their house.”

“I've got friends, too, cutie.”

Laura stepped over to the bed, and sat down beside Carmilla. “Are you trying to seem mysterious still? Because I think we might be past that point.”

Carmilla smirked at Laura, and reached to the floor to grab her crutches. She lifted herself from the bed, and slowly moved to the doorway of the bedroom. “It was Ell and Mattie.”

“What?!” Laura asked sounding shocked. “They both told me that they had to work today! I called them first thing this morning!”

Carmilla shrugged and left the room with Laura hot on her heels.

“Did they come over as soon as they got off or something?”

“You really think we could have gotten all of this done in a couple hours?” Carmilla laughed. “I called them both as soon as you left and begged for help. Ell found someone to cover her shift at the diner, and Mattie just didn't go in.”

“Danny didn't say anything about Ell getting the day off.”

“Ell got in touch with Danny when you two were at your dad's house. I guess she was inside carrying a nightstand in while you two were outside talking or something, but she made Danny promise not to tell you.”

“Why didn't you want me to know?”

Carmilla sat down on the couch with a sigh, and looked over at Laura. “I just wanted to surprise you. I figured if I mentioned it to you, you'd tell me that I just needed to relax, and that you'd get it all done when you got back.”

“That's exactly what I would have said,” Laura agreed.

“Then I'm glad I kept it from you. I didn't do any heavy lifting. I just told them where to put everything. Once it came to unloading boxes, it was cake. I unloaded everything, and they carried them in to me.”

Laura sat down next to Carmilla on the couch, unable to meet her gaze. “Well, thank you. I-it really means a lot to me, Carm.”

“I just wanted you to feel at home here. It's your apartment now, too. Your stuff didn't need to sit in boxes until we could figure out what to do with it.”

Laura finally looked over at Carmilla, and her heart swelled when she saw the expression on her face. In so few words, she had removed all of the doubt that was plaguing her throughout the day. She kissed her, hoping that the act would say everything she couldn't.

When the two pulled apart, Carmilla's attention focused on the bag of food that sat on the coffee table. “You went to Alexandros?” she asked excitedly.

“I thought you'd be hungry,” Laura said with a small shrug.

“Cupcake, you sure know the way to win a girl's heart.”

Laura quirked an eyebrow at Carmilla. “I thought I already had?”

They both grinned at each other before kissing again. Laura reached forward to grab the food from the coffee table. They watched TV the rest of the night together in their living room. When they finally went to bed, Laura decided that she had never been happier in her entire life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy Hufflepuff! Longest chapter yet! It felt really good to just knock this one out. Although..I mean..it did take two nights to write, but that's besides the point. I JUST WANTED TO INCLUDE EVERYONE IN IT!! I'm super happy with this chapter, and I really hope that all of you are, too. And anyway, I'll keep this short! Tell me how much you loved it! or..ya know..hated it. Either way, comment!
> 
> And as always, don't be afraid to come say hello!  
> micanickel.tumblr.com
> 
> oh, p.s. Shout out to my muse for giving me such excellent material to work with.


	21. Adventures and Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now, for the thrilling conclusion of Dizzy Spells.  
> It's been a ride, guys.

Laura dragged her feet up the last flight of stairs to her apartment. She leaned her forehead against the cool door with a heavy sigh. _"I just need a minute to myself,"_ she thought. As eager as she was to get inside and cuddle up on the couch with Bagheera and Carmilla, she needed a few moments alone to wind down.

To say that things had been busy at Silas Daily was an extreme understatement. She was the newly appointed editor in chief, and her new title had her running around like a chicken with its head cut off. The paper never came out late, and she wasn't going to be the first editor to break that trend. She had only been the editor for a month now, and this was the second paper being sent out under her name. Her predecessor had finally transferred to her new position within the paper, so Laura was now flying solo.

Today was the one year anniversary of the day Carmilla woke up from the coma, so Laura had a hard time focusing on simple tasks. Every time she imagined coming home to her amazing girlfriend, and the life they had created together, she became distracted. More often than not, she found herself staring at a blank stretch of wall, completely unaware of how long she had been zoned out.

Her mind flashed back to the first few weeks after Carmilla had been released from the hospital. Sure, they had their share of arguments up until that point, but nothing like the chaos that they had endured those three weeks.

–

The first few days were smooth sailing. Things had never been better between the two of them. LaFontaine and Perry had brought Bagheera by the day after Laura got all of her stuff settled in Carmilla's apartment. Laura couldn't remember a time when she had ever felt happier or more at peace. She had her girlfriend at her side, and her sweet boy always waiting at home for her. 

She came home from the paper one day to find Carmilla lounging on the couch with Bagheera. Silas Daily had been an absolute madhouse that day, and she was more than ready to change into her pjs, watch some TV, and then head to bed. 

“Welcome home, cutie,” Carmilla greeted her as she walked through the door. 

Laura answered with a small smile as she tossed her bag and keys on the table by the door. Carmilla stood from the couch, grabbing her crutches as she did, and moved closer to Laura.

“What say you and I head into the bedroom and-”

“No,” Laura said quickly.

Carmilla stopped in her tracks. “No?”

“No, I'm just,” Laura hesitated, looking for the right words and not wanting to hurt Carmilla's feelings. “I'm just not feeling up to it right now. Headache and all.” She gestured towards her head with a shrug.

Laura moved past Carmilla to the bedroom, feeling her eyes on her the entire way. She entered the bedroom, and pushed the door closed behind her. She stood by the door listening to the silence in the living room. After a few moments, she heard the unmistakable sounds of Carmilla making her way back to the couch. She slowly removed her clothes, and pulled on some pjs before she went back out in the living room.

Carmilla was laying back on the couch when Laura exited their bedroom. Her head turned towards Laura, smiling at her as she walked over to the couch. Laura's felt the tension that had settled in her shoulders ease just a bit. Carmilla pushed herself up into a seated position, and patted the spot between her legs for Laura to sit.

Once she was settled with Carmilla's broken leg across her lap, she gave Carmilla a quick kiss and settled into the cushions. 

“Rough day, cupcake?” Carmilla asked. She had brought her hand up into Laura's hair, and was gently pushing her fingers through it. 

“You have no idea,” Laura sighed. 

“Well let's just relax and enjoy the rest of our night,” Carmilla said as she wrapped her arms around Laura and pulled her to her chest.

Laura giggled and nuzzled further into Carmilla's embrace. By the following morning, Laura had forgotten the events that transpired when she got home from work. 

The following night, the same situation occurred. The only difference was that Carmilla was wearing her silky red robe when Laura walked in the door, and it took an enormous amount of effort to turn down her advances. 

The same routine ensued for the next week and a half. Laura would come home from work to find Carmilla in various states of undress, trying to seduce her, and Laura would turn her down. Each morning, Carmilla seemed to become shorter and shorter with Laura. 

The night before Carmilla's cast was removed, things fell to pieces. 

Laura entered their apartment, expecting to find Carmilla on the couch as usual, but she was no where to be found.

“Carm?” Laura called into the empty room. When she didn't receive a response, she set her things down on the small table by the door, and headed towards their bedroom. She slowly pushed open the door, and saw Carmilla laying on the bed, seemingly fast asleep.

She frowned, but changed into her pjs anyway. She crawled in the bed, planning to cuddle up behind Carmilla, but when she reached her, Carmilla scooted slightly forward away from Laura.

“Carm,” Laura whispered, “it's just me.” She lifted her arm to wrap it around the girl laying in front of her, but stopped when Carmilla held her hand up to block her arm. “Carm, what's-”

“Stop, Laura,” Carmilla said harshly, “I'm not in the mood tonight.”

“You're not in the mood to cuddle?” Laura asked feeling confused. “You love to cuddle.”

“Not tonight,” Carmilla responded, her voice just as harsh as before. 

“Oh,” Laura said laying flat on her back. “Oh, that's just-that's just how it is.”

Carmilla didn't speak again, and Laura laid awake in bed for hours until she felt herself drifting off into a restless sleep.

The following morning, Laura woke up with a headache and feeling just as confused as she had when she fell asleep the night before. Carmilla was already out of the bed when Laura opened her eyes, and it seemed as if she had already gotten dressed and left the bedroom. Sure enough, when Laura went out into the living room, Carmilla was sitting across the couch, an open book in her hands. 

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Laura said.

“Morning,” Carmilla mumbled, not taking her eyes away from the book she was reading. 

“Do you want breakfast or anything before we head up to the hospital?”

“I already ate,” Carmilla answered.

“Oh, well,” Laura shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other, “I'll just make myself some cereal before I get dressed, and then we can head out.”

“Sounds good,” Carmilla said.

Laura stared at her for a minute, debating whether or not she wanted to ask what was wrong. Deciding that it would be better to wait, she sighed, and walked to the kitchen to make herself breakfast. 

The removal of Carmilla's cast went extremely quickly. They were in and out of the hospital within an hour, and after leaving, Carmilla seemed to be in better spirits. Laura was even ready to forget about the previous night when Carmilla brought it up after they arrived back at their apartment.

“So does this mean you'll actually touch me now?” Carmilla asked.

Laura, who had been digging through her backpack on the couch, froze. “What are you talking about?”

“You know exactly what I'm talking about, Laura.”

“I don't-I don't think I do. I've been touching you.”

“That's not what I'm talking about, and you know it,” Carmilla argued.

Laura set her backpack down on the floor at her feet, and turned to face Carmilla. “I honestly don't know what you mean.”

“Laura, I've been trying to get you to sleep with me since I've been home, but you won't have any part of it. You can't tell me you haven't caught on to everything I've been doing.”

“I-I may have noticed,” Laura said hesitantly.

“I've pulled out all of the stops, and you're not having any part of it. At first, I was just really confused and hurt, but then I realized what was going on. You just didn't want to hurt me again.”

“I-that's not-” Laura felt her heart rate start to pick up.

“It is. You've been worried about what happened at the hospital happening again.”

Laura opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out. She turned so she was facing forward, staring wordlessly at the TV screen on the wall. She felt the cushions on the couch move beside her, and knew that Carmilla had sat down. When she looked over, Carmilla was looking at her with a pained expression on her face.

“Carm,” Laura said quietly, “I can't hurt you again. What happened at the hospital-I fell on you, and I can't hurt you like that again. I've been so scared.”

“Cupcake,” Carmilla said as she scooted closer to Laura. “It's not going to happen again. I'm perfectly healed now.” To emphasize her point, she stood from the couch and jumped in the air a few times. “See? No pain at all!”

“I still-I don't know if we should just yet.”

“Laura,” Carmilla said seriously. She stepped closer to her, and Laura leaned back on the couch away from her. 

“I mean it, Carmilla. I don't know if I can.”

“Trust me, you can.”

Laura stood from where she was sitting, and slowly walked backwards to their bedroom. Every step she took backwards, Carmilla would take one forward. 

“Carm, I can't risk causing you pain like that again,” Laura said. Her hands were starting to shake, and her breaths were coming out in quick bursts. 

“I just told you that wasn't going to happen,” Carmilla said as she took two quick steps closer to Laura. “I want you, Laura. I'd even go as far as to say that I need you. I've missed touching you. I've missed feeling you tremble beneath my fingertips.”

Laura let out a nervous laugh. “You know you're the bottom in this relationship, right?”

“I don't know,” Carmilla said thoughtfully. “It's been so long. I can't really remember.” 

Laura felt her back hit the closed bedroom door, and Carmilla was on top of her before she could get the door open. 

“Okay, but if we think about this logically, you just had your cast removed today. You should probably take it easy, and not risk messing something up. Your doctor did say that you need to ease into any sort of physical activity because you could hurt something again. And are you sure that your ribs are fully healed? I'm not sure if they are. Maybe we could go back up to the hospital to have them checked before we try anything, and if they're fine then-”

“Laura,” Carmilla said cutting her off.

“What?”

“Shut up,” and then Carmilla was kissing her roughly. Her back was pushed against the door, and Carmilla's hands were in her hair. When she felt Carmilla's hips grind against hers, all of the fight left her body, and she melted into the kiss. 

The following morning, Laura woke up with Carmilla's head on her chest. The blankets were in a tangled mess at the foot of the bed. The clothes they each wore the previous day were scattered across the floor. She wrapped her arms tighter around Carmilla's body, and nuzzled her face into the dark hair that was covering her chest. Within seconds, she had back fallen into a peaceful sleep. 

–

Laura shook her head to pull herself out of the memory. Smiling to herself, she unlocked the front door to the apartment, and pushed the door open wide. The living room was empty, so she assumed that Carmilla was in their bedroom.

“Hey, Carm!” she called into the apartment. “I'm home!” She dropped her keys and bag on the table by the door, and stepped into the apartment. “I was thinking that we could just order take-out for dinner. Things were crazy at work today, so I'm not really feeling up to cooking anything.”

She moved further into the living room, and noticed Bagheera was sitting on the couch. 

“Hey, Baggy,” she cooed as she got closer to him. She noticed something was around his neck, and she furrowed her brow. Bagheera didn't wear a collar. She sat down on the couch beside him, and pulled him into her lap. Upon closer inspection, she realized that he was in a small cat version of a tuxedo, complete with a red bow tie. 

Laura laughed as she removed the note that was pinned to the bow tie. “Why are you all dressed up, Bags?” He meowed softly, and jumped down from the couch. He walked to the open bedroom door, and stopped to look at her.

“I'll be there in a minute, Bagheera, I just need to see what this is.” She turned her attention to the folded piece of paper in her hand, and pulled it open. Carmilla's spiraling cursive covered the page, and she brought it closer to her face, angling it so she could read it better in the dark living room. 

_Cupcake,_  
I hope you're not too tired from work, because I have a little something planned for the two of us tonight. I'll need you to run a few errands for me along the way, though, so go get changed. Your things are on the bed.  
See you soon,  
XOXO Carm  
P.S. How cute was Baggy in that adorable tux? He begged me for it, and you know I'm a sucker when it comes to him. 

Laura grinned at the piece of paper in her hands, and rolled her eyes. Leave it to Carmilla to plan something extravagant for them when she just had the busiest day yet at the paper. She got up from the couch, and went to their bedroom to change into whatever Carmilla had picked out for her. 

Bagheera was sitting contently in the middle of the bed, with a black cocktail dress laid out beside him. Laura's black heels were on the floor at the foot of the bed, and another note was tucked inside of them. Laura shook her head, the smile never leaving her face, and started changing into the dress.

When she was finished, she touched up her make up in the bathroom, and sat on the edge of the bed so she could put the heels on. Once they were on her feet, she picked up the note that she had set on the bed beside her. 

_Now that you're dressed and ready for your adventure, go get in your car. My best friend is waiting for you where I took you on our first date._

Laura sat pondering the note for a moment before it hit her. Ell was at the diner that her family owned. Why would Carmilla want her to go there of all places? She left the bedroom, and grabbed her things from the table by the door. As she walked out of the building to her car, she saw Carmilla's motorcycle parked nearby, and another memory came rushing to her mind.

–

“Carmilla, I cannot believe you got another motorcycle,” Laura said angrily. “Do you have any idea how insane that is?”

Carmilla stood beside the shiny new motorcycle with a wide grin on her face. “Come on, cupcake, you can't tell me you haven't missed riding.”

“What I haven't missed is you being in a coma!” Laura crossed her arms, and glared at the insulting motorcycle in front of her. 

“I don't plan on riding at night again, and I'm going to be super safe.” She gave Laura a pleading look, and Laura felt her resolve start to cave. “Plus,” she pulled her hands out from behind her back and held out Laura's old helmet to her, “I saved the first ride for you.”

“You haven't even rode it yet?” Laura uncrossed her arms, confusion taking over anger.

Carmilla shook her head. “Will helped me get it here with his truck. I really wanted the first time I rode again to be with you.” She looked down at her feet, kicking at the gravel.

Laura's shoulders slumped, all fight leaving her body. “Alright, fine. You win.”

Carmillla's head jerked up, and her eyes were wide. “Seriously?”

Laura chuckled. “Yes, seriously.” She took the helmet that Carmilla still held in her hands, and pushed it on her head. “Let's go.”

Carmilla grinned at Laura, and took her own helmet from the handlebars of the motorcycle. Laura noticed that it was a different one than what she used to wear with her other motorcycle. She strapped it on tightly, and climbed on the bike, allowing enough room for Laura to get on behind her. When they were both settled, Carmilla started the bike, and started to lift her feet from the ground. 

Within seconds, her feet were firmly planted back on the asphalt, and the motorcycle was turned off. She struggled to remove herself from in front of Laura, and squatted on the ground. She ripped off her helmet, tossed it to the side, and put her head between her knees.

“Carm,” Laura said, still sitting on the motorcycle, “what's going on?” 

Laura climbed off of the motorcycle and crouched beside Carmilla. She put a tentative hand on her shoulder and immediately noticed that she was shaking.

“Carmilla, what's wrong?” she asked more forcefully.

Carmilla took a few deep breaths and looked up to meet Laura's eyes. “I don't think this was a good idea.”

“What do you mean?” Laura asked furrowing her brow.

“Getting a new bike,” Carmilla explained. “I can't ride it. I didn't realize that I would have anxiety about it, but as soon as my feet left the ground, I couldn't breathe.” Carmilla took another deep breath. “I just need to take it back. I'll have Will come pick it up, and return it with me.”

“You don't need to return the bike,” Laura said soothingly. “I'll help you get over this.”

Carmilla shook her head. “No, there's nothing you can do. I just can't ride anymore.”

Carmilla sounded so defeated, and Laura felt her heart break a little at her words. She picked up Carmilla's discarded helmet and held it out to her. “Come on, we're going for a ride.”

Carmilla eyed the helmet in Laura's hand nervously. “Cupcake, I really can't get back on that thing. I won't be able to drive it.”

Laura shrugged and a grin spread across her face. “You won't have to.” Carmilla raised an eyebrow at Laura, and she let out a nervous giggle. “I may or may not have been riding your old bike around the building before your accident. I was going to surprise you one day, and take you out.”

Laura watched Carmilla's eyes widen in surprise. “You never cease to amaze me, Laura Hollis.”

“So,” Laura began hesitantly, “is that a yes?”

“I guess it wouldn't really hurt anything to try,” Carmilla said slowly. She took the helmet that Laura still held out to her and put it on her head. She gestured to the bike that was in front of them. “Take me away, cupcake.”

Laura's smile, already impossibly wide, grew even further. She clapped her hands together gleefully, and climbed on the bike. Carmilla stood beside her for a few moments, but after another steadying breath, she got on behind Laura. Her arms snaked around Laura's waist, and she pressed her body tight against her back.

“Thank you for doing this-for taking care of me,” Carmilla said in a quiet voice.

Laura could feel tremors going through Carmilla's body, and she squeezed Carmilla's arms with one of her hands. “I'm always going to take care of you, Carm.” 

Laura released her grip on Carmilla's arms and started the motorcycle's engine. She eased out of the parking spot Carmilla had parked the bike in, and navigated out of the parking lot. 

–

Laura climbed into the driver's seat of her car, the memory still playing in her mind. How Carmilla had calmed down after a surprisingly short amount of time on the motorcycle. How she seemed to get more excited the longer they rode. How, when Laura pulled over and offered to let her drive, Carmilla refused, saying that she felt safe with Laura in control. The day had ended with a trip to visit Ell just like the countless other days the two had spent together riding Carmilla's old motorcycle. 

Laura let her mind wander on the way to the diner. Memories played through of many more outings on Carmilla's motorcycle, some of them with Carmilla driving, many more with Laura in control. Before she knew it, she was pulling in front of the familiar building, and getting out of her car. 

She walked inside, and was immediately greeted by Carmilla's best friend.

“Laur!” Ell said as she came around the counter to give Laura a hug. “I was wondering when you were going to show up.”

Laura laughed as she returned Ell's hug. “I got a little distracted on the way here.”

“That's alright,” Ell said with a smile. “Come have a seat while I run to the back to grab your stuff.”

“Stuff?” Laura asked feeling even more confused than she had already been. “What are you talking about?”

Ell only smirked at her before she disappeared in the back of the diner. A few moments later, she returned with a long box in her arms. Attached to the outside of the box was a folded piece of paper, and Laura could only assume it was another note from Carmilla.

Ell set the box down on the counter in front of her, and winked at Laura.

“What is all of this, Ell?” Laura asked, looking from the box to the girl in front of her. 

Ell mimicked locking her lips with a key and tossing it over her shoulder. “My lips are sealed, L.”

The door opened behind her, and Laura glanced over her shoulder to see who had come in. Danny entered the diner, followed by LaFontaine and Perry. The three of them grinned at her, and came to stand next to her. 

“So, she's actually got you doing all of this?” LaFontaine asked sounding amused. Laura noticed Perry nudge their arm with her own, but chose to ignore it.

“I'm not sure what I'm doing, exactly, but it's definitely interesting.”

“I just can't believe how sappy Elvira is being,” Danny laughed. “It's kind of gross.”

“Babe,” Ell said glaring over the counter at Danny. 

Danny rolled her eyes, but stepped around the counter to place a kiss on Ell's cheek. It was actually extremely gross how adorable the two of them were together, so Laura thought it was ironic that Danny was calling Carmilla gross. She kept her thoughts to herself, though.

“What are you guys doing here?” she asked the gingers.

“We just uh-” Perry looked at the other two for help.

“We were hungry,” LaFontaine answered.

“That, and I missed Ell,” Danny said with a shrug.

“Okay,” Laura said unable to hold her tongue anymore, “ _that_ is gross, Danny.”

Danny opened her mouth to respond, but Perry cut her off before she could say a word. “You haven't opened the box yet. We got here just in time.”

“You all knew I'd be getting something here tonight?” Laura asked, her confusion reaching a whole new level. 

“No,” Perry said quickly, “I just meant-we were just hungry, and we came here to get some food. We had no idea you'd be here.”

“But you just said-”

“Open the damn box, frosh,” LaFontaine said eagerly.

Laura sighed heavily, and turned her attention back to the box sitting innocently on the counter. The four girls surrounding her inched closer, all eyes on the box. Laura carefully removed the piece of paper that was attached to the box, and pulled it open.

_Are you having fun yet? I hope Ell didn't bother you too much, and I made sure to tell the ginger squad that I would rip out their eyeballs and serve them in martinis if they showed up so I can only hope that they listened. They didn't, did they? I'm going to kill them. This night is all about you, though, so I'm not going to let them ruin anything. Inside this box are twelve roses. If you stood in front of a mirror holding them, you'd be looking at thirteen of the most beautiful things in the world. Too cheesy? I don't even care. I think your dad might have something to say about all of this. Why don't you pay him a visit after you leave the diner?  
I love you, Laura Hollis._

Laura finished reading the note, and started to fold it in half again. 

Perry protested behind her. “Hey! I wasn't done with that!” 

Laura jumped, forgetting that she had an audience, and began to blush. “Oh, I don't think Carm would want me to let you read this.”

“Don't be silly, Laura,” Ell said as she took the note from Laura's hand. “She knows we're going to read it.” She flattened the note out on the counter, and the four girls leaned over so they could all read it.

Laura watched them for a minute, but her curiosity got the best of her, and she pulled open the box. Inside were twelve long-stem roses just like Carmilla had said. They were the most beautiful red roses Laura had ever seen, and she wondered where Carmilla had found them. A slim white box was laid on top of the stems, and Laura picked it up carefully.

She glanced over at the girls who had finished reading Carmilla's note. They were all watching her with rapt attention. 

“Did you guys know about this part?”

They all shook their heads, and Laura let out a sigh of relief. At least she wasn't the only one in the dark at this point. She pushed the top of the slim box up, and couldn't stop the gasp that escaped her mouth. 

Inside the box laid a delicate white gold chain with a small heart-shaped locket attached to it. She gingerly grabbed the chain between two shaking fingers, and set the box on the counter. 

“Carmilla, what did you do?” she whispered to herself. She let the chain dangle between her fingers, while she carefully opened the locket. Her eyes immediately filled with tears, and she chuckled softly. 

One side of the locket held the last picture she had ever taken with her mother, the one of the two of them at her graduation. The opposite side held the most recent picture she had of her and her father, one Carmilla had taken at her birthday dinner many months before. 

Laura held out the necklace to the girls that were watching her, and put her head in her hands when they took it from her. She fought the tears that were threatening to escape from her eyes, and when she had composed herself enough, she looked up.

The four girls were staring open-mouthed at the locket they held between the two of them. They had it flipped over to the back, and Laura noticed that they all had tears in their eyes. 

“What are you looking at?”

“Did you-did you see the back?” Ell asked, holding the locket out to Laura. Laura took the locket back in her fingers and flipped it over. 

Engraved on the back in Carmilla's spiraling cursive were the words _Forever In Your Heart_. Laura choked out a sob, and clutched the locket to her chest. Perry wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and hugged her tightly.

“I can't believe she did this,” Laura said through her tears. 

“I can,” LaFontaine said simply. Everyone turned to look at them. “What?” they asked. “Carmilla's the biggest romantic I know, and she's absolutely head over heels for Laura. Of course she would do something like this.”

“Well, I'm glad that you could see this coming,” Laura said with a laugh. “Perr, will you help me put this on?” She held out the locket to Perry, who took it from her hand, and placed it around her neck. Once it was securely in place, Laura patted it with her hand and stood from the bar stool she was seated in. 

“I guess I should go to my dad's house now.” She pulled LaF and Perry into a quick hug, and waved to Ell and Danny over the counter. “I'm sure you know what else she has planned, but I'll let you know how it goes anyway.”

She exited the diner, walking towards her car while thinking about the pictures within the locket at her chest. The memory of her birthday dinner was brought to the forefront of her mind, and she let herself get lost in the blissfulness of that night.

–

Carmilla had pulled out all the stops for her birthday. Laura woke up to a wonderful breakfast in bed, followed by some of the best sex she had ever had in her life. They spent the majority of the day in a tangled mess of limbs, drifting in and out of sleep while whispering sweet nothings to each other in between naps and kisses.

She was nudged awake by a grinning Carmilla sometime in the late afternoon. In her arms, Carmilla held birthday balloons, and a few small presents. 

“Carm,” Laura said sleepily, “I told you not to get me anything for my birthday. You spend enough money on me randomly throughout the year.”

“I know, cutie, but I chose to ignore you. Besides, they're just little things.”

Laura giggled and pushed herself up in bed, letting the sheet fall from her body, and exposing her bare chest. Carmilla's eyes immediately fell to the newly exposed skin, and Laura had to clear her throat to grab her attention again. 

“You'd think that with all the fun we had earlier, you'd be conditioned to see me naked.”

“Cupcake,” Carmilla said with a smirk, “I don't think I'll ever get used to seeing you naked. You're absolutely stunning. Breathtaking, in fact.”

Laura rolled her eyes playfully, but still felt a slight blush creep up her neck. She tugged on the sheet until it was covering her chest again, and opened her arms to Carmilla. 

Carmilla set the presents down in Laura's lap, and sat down on the bed beside her. “After you open these, we should probably get in the shower so we can get ready for dinner with your father.”

Laura nodded in agreement, and picked up the smallest of the two presents. She pulled off the colorful wrapping paper, and a box sat in it's place. She shook it from side to side, earning a disapproving sound from Carmilla.

“You know you're not supposed to try to guess what's inside, cutie.”

“But I can usually get it right,” Laura pouted. She took of the top of the box, and inside, laying on a red velvet cushion, was a beautiful ball point pen. She picked it up out of the box, and noticed a small engraving at the top.

_Laura Hollis, Editor in Chief_

“Carm, that's-but I'm not-I haven't even found out if I've gotten the position yet.”

Carmilla waved her off. “How many times do I have to tell you to be optimistic? You said you killed the interview.”

“That doesn't mean anything, though. I won't know for another few weeks.”

“Well, if you don't like it,” Carmilla said as she reached her hand out to take the pen away.

Laura pulled it closer to her, and held it tight in her fist. “Don't you dare try to take this away from me, Carmilla Karnstein. It's my present.”

“Then don't try to rationalize why you shouldn't have it just yet,” Carmilla laughed. “Open up your other one.”

Laura set the pen back in the box, and picked up her second present eagerly. This box was bigger, and much heavier. She acted like she was about to shake this box as well, but Carmilla glared at her before she could.

“Fine, grump,” she said with a smile. She tore of the paper that covered this present, and tossed it to the side. The box was taped shut, and she tugged at the edges of the box until the tape pulled apart. Packing peanuts filled the box, and she let out a huff.

“You made this one difficult.”

“That's just the way it came, cupcake,” Carmilla said, laughing at the pout on Laura's face. 

Laura shoved her hand into the packing peanuts, dislodging a few as she did, and felt her fingers hit something cool, and metal. She dug her hand further into the box, pushing more packing peanuts out, and wrapped her fingers around the mysterious object at the bottom of the box. 

She pulled her hand out of the box quickly, sending packing peanuts flying in every direction and earning a scowl from Carmilla.

“You know you're going to have to clean that up later.”

Laura chose to ignore her in favor of examining the object the had just pulled from the box. It was a gold desk placard that read _Laura Hollis, Editor in Chief_ just like the pen had. Laura's heart swelled as she took in the gift. Carmilla just had so much faith in her. 

“You're really banking on me getting this promotion, aren't you?”

Carmilla leaned forward and gave Laura a quick kiss. “I know what you're capable of even if you haven't realized it yourself.”

Laura smiled into the kiss, and set the desk placard on the bed beside her. She hooked her fingers into the collar of Carmilla's shirt, and pulled her closer. The balloons Carmilla had been holding onto floated up to the ceiling as she moved to straddle Laura on the bed. 

A full two hours later, Laura was rushing around the apartment while Carmilla stood by the door, impatiently waiting.

“Laura, we're already running late, what else do you need?”

“I can't find my camera, and I wanted to get some pictures of you and Dad tonight.”

“Stop, just stop,” Carmilla said as she stepped in front of Laura and grabbed her shoulders. “Your camera is in my car where you left it the last time you wanted to take pictures of me and something. Can we go, please?”

“It's in your car? You're sure?” Laura asked frantically.

“I'm positive,” Carmilla said. “And before you ask,” she said seeing Laura's mouth open again, “I checked it earlier, it's fully charged.”

Laura's shoulders sagged with relief. “You're the best,” she breathed out as she leaned in to give Carmilla a kiss. When Carmilla tried to deepen the kiss, Laura pulled back. “No, absolutely not. We are not getting distracted again.”

“Oh, but it's so much fun to distract you, cutie,” Carmilla teased.

“Weren't you the one that just said we were running late?”

Carmilla's eyes flickered to the clock that hung on the wall and nodded. “You're right, we'll have more time for that later. Let's get going.” She grabbed Laura's hand and pulled her out the door. 

–

Laura pulled into her dad's driveway, letting herself be pulled from the memory of her last birthday. The desk placard and pen that Carmilla had given her that day now sat proudly on her desk, displayed for everyone who came in her office to see. 

She walked up the familiar path to her dad's front door, stopping to compose herself before she entered. The night had already been such a roller coaster, she needed to prepare for what she was going to find when she went into her dad's house. 

A moment later, she pushed open the door, and called into the empty hallway. 

“Dad, it's Laura! Carm-well, she told me that I needed to come see you!”

Her dad's head poked out from the kitchen, and he grinned at her. “Hey, kiddo. Carmilla just said to send you up to your old room. When you're done up there, come on down, and we can talk.”

Laura stared at her dad wondering what the hell was going on. “What's in my room?”

“You'll see when you get up there. Go on.”

She glared at him, but started to head up the stairs without another word. She approached her bedroom door slowly, nervous of what she was going to find inside. The door was slightly cracked, and when she pushed it open, her breath caught in her throat.

A trail of rose pedals went from the door to her old bed. The bed was covered in dozens of more long-stemmed roses with what looked like heart shaped confetti littering the bed. The room was dark, but the walls were covered in specks of light, mimicking the night sky. A small projector was placed on Laura's bedside table, sending the lights all around the room. Strands of red ribbon hung from the ceiling to the floor, and the ribbons were made to form hearts where they touched the floor. 

Laura walked carefully between the ribbons, not wanting to displace any of them. As she neared her bed, she noticed a small box with another piece of paper attached to it. 

She lifted the note from the bed, and unfold it to read:  
_This is your last stop before you get to see me, cupcake. I hope you're not too tired from all of this because the night isn't over yet. Your dad helped me set all of this up, so be sure to thank him for me. He's been extremely understanding and wonderful with all of this. All of these roses may seem extremely cliché and cheesy, but I just can't help myself when it comes to you. You've always brought out that side in me. Open your last gift, go talk to your dad, and then come to the place where we first met.  
As always, I love you Laura Hollis, xoxo_

Laura fold the note in half and set it on the bed. She picked up the small box, and with shaking hands, pulled it open. Again, she couldn't help the gasp that fell from her lips. 

Inside the box on a white cushion, there was a bracelet that matched her new necklace perfectly. One small charm was attached to it, the same as the locket. She picked up the bracelet, and upon closer inspection realized that it wasn't a locket, but it did have an engraving in Carmilla's handwriting as well.

_Forever In My Heart_

On the other side, four simple letters: _CKLH_.

Laura closed her eyes, and let all of the emotions she had been feeling since she arrived home wash over her. Love, adoration, wonder, joy. All of those things and so much more. She couldn't believe how lucky she was. She undid the clasp on the bracelet and wrapped it around her wrist. After securing it, she took one last look around the room, and went downstairs to find her dad. She found him in the living room, sitting on the couch, and waiting for her. 

“How are you handling all of this, kiddo?” he asked when he saw her.

“Aside from being extremely confused?” Laura laughed. “I can't believe she's done all of this.”

He patted the spot on the couch next to him, and she sat down. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and she leaned into his embrace. 

“She really loves you, Laur,” Sherman said simply.

“I know she does, and I love her, too,” Laura said. “Sometimes it scares me how much I love her.”

“It's normal to be scared,” he responded. “I remember how I felt with your mother. I couldn't stand the thought of being without her, and sometimes it still hurts so much. But I know that she's always going to be with me, right here,” he patted his chest. “Just like she's always going to be with you, right there.” He pointed to the locket that she was wearing around her neck. 

“I miss her so much sometimes, Dad.” Laura felt tears forming in her eyes, and she tried to fight them off. “I wish she could be here. I wish she could have met Carm. I know she would have loved her.”

Sherman nodded. “She's met her, Laur. She's met her through you. I know you don't see it, but you are so much like your mom. She would be so proud of the woman you've become.”

“I've done all of this for her. For you.”

“You've accomplished as much as you have because that's just who you are. You're driven, and intelligent. You're the youngest Editor in Chief that Silas Daily has ever had. You should be proud of that.”

“I know, Dad, and I am proud of myself. But that still doesn't stop me from wanting Mom here to see all of it.”

“She sees it all, kiddo, you can be sure of that.”

Laura gave her dad a watery smile, and wrapped her arms around him. When she pulled back, she kissed his cheek and stood from the couch. “Alright, I'd better get going. Carmilla is waiting for me.”

“I think that girl would wait for you forever.”

Laura laughed. “I'm sure she would, but I don't want to keep her waiting any longer. I'm kind of eager to see how this is all going to end.”

“I don't blame you,” her dad said with a smile. “Tell her I love her when you see her.”

Laura smiled at her dad one last time, and walked out to her car. She turned on her dome lights in her car, and reached into her backseat to grab her back so she could touch up her make up. Her motorcycle helmet was on top of her bag, and she carefully set it to the side, another memory coming to the forefront of her mind.

–

“Merry Christmas, Carm!” Laura sang as she twirled around the bedroom.

“Cupcake, just because it's Christmas doesn't mean we have to be up before the sun,” Carmilla groaned. “Come back to bed.”

“Have you even opened your eyes yet, silly? It's nine! Get up!”

“Nine in the morning is far too early, let me sleep for a few more hours.”

“No way, Jose!” Laura laughed as the flopped down on the bed beside Carmilla. “I'm too eager to give you your present, so you need to get up like five minutes ago.”

“You've waited this long,” Carmilla said grumpily. “Can't you wait another few hours?”

“Carm,” Laura said leaning over to place kisses all over Carmilla's bare back. “You know how hard it's been keeping this from you. Get up!”

Carmilla groaned loudly again, and started to roll over. “Fine, but I'm going to need a lot of coffee to get through this day.”

“It's already made and waiting for you in the living room,” Laura said cheerfully. “Which is where you'll find me once you put some clothes on and come out!”

Another groan came from Carmilla. “You're making me put clothes on too?”

Laura laughed as she skipped out of the bedroom, leaving a naked and pouting Carmilla alone in the bedroom. When she came out two minutes later, her hair was an adorable mess, and she was yawning widely. 

“I hope you don't mind, but I kind of already gave Baggy his present,” Laura said as she gestured to the black cat that was perched on the brand new cat tree in the corner. 

“You act like he hasn't been climbing on that thing since I put it together two nights ago.”

“True,” Laura said nodding, “but I removed the bow before you came out so, technically, I gave it to him without you. Now come sit down.” 

Carmilla shuffled over to the couch and sat down beside Laura. A gift was immediately dropped into her lap, and she glared at it.

“How are you so awake?”

“I've been up for hours. I just wanted to let you get a little more sleep.”

“And you decided that nine was the perfect time to wake me up?”

“Precisely!” Laura said happily. “Now open up your present.”

Carmilla sighed, and started to remove the wrapping paper from the box that sat on her lap.

“Wait, wait!” Laura said frantically. “I need to get my camera!”

“Laura, no,” Carmilla said shortly.

“What do you mean no?”

“I mean no. It's way too early, I look like death, and I don't exactly want pictures taken right now.”

“But,” Laura said sadly, “it's our first Christmas together. We need pictures for memories.”

“We were together last Christmas.”

“Yeah, that was only slightly dampened by the fact that you were in a coma.”

Carmilla looked over at Laura and raised her eyebrows. Laura gave her the best puppy dog eyes she could muster, and squealed when she saw Carmilla's shoulders slouch in defeat.

“Two seconds, I'll be right back.” Laura dashed into the spare room to grab her camera bag from her desk, and ran back into the living room. Carmilla had finished ripping off the rest of the wrapping paper, and was staring at the brown cardboard box. 

“Ahw, you didn't wait for me,” Laura said sadly.

“I just took the rest of the paper off. I haven't opened it yet.”

Laura frowned at her. Clearly she didn't understand how Christmas presents worked. She turned on her camera and angled it towards Carmilla. “Okay, go.”

Carmilla stared at her for a moment before she pulled apart the top of the box. She was speechless as she stared at the gift inside. Laura clicked a few pictures as she waited for a response.

“Do you like it?”

“Laura,” Carmilla lifted the gift from the box, “I love it. It's absolutely beautiful.”

Laura had a motorcycle helmet made especially for Carmilla. It was covered in galaxies, stars and planets. They spread from one side to the other, with different shades of blues, purples, and pinks mixed in. On the back of it, CK stood out stark white against the dark colors. Laura snapped a few quick pictures, and then pulled another box out from under the tree. 

“Here, open this one next.”

“I thought we had agreed on one gift each,” Carmilla said.

“I just couldn't help myself with this one. You needed it,” Laura shrugged.

Carmilla took the flat box from Laura's outstretched hand, and set it on her lap. She opened it slowly, allowing Laura to take pictures as she did. When the paper was removed, a white box was in her lap. She brought it up to her nose and sniffed.

“Is that leather?”

“Carm! No! Don't smell it!” Laura said angrily. “We're not supposed to guess!”

Carmilla laughed and pulled the lid of the box off. She removed the piece of tissue paper covering the gift, and her eyes widened when she saw the genuine leather vest that was inside the box.

“Whoa! This is-I can't believe you-I love it!” She opened it fully, and her mouth dropped when she saw what was stitched onto the back. Laura giggled, picturing in her mind what Carmilla was looking at. The back of the vest had the words _Eat Me_ stitched into it with a picture of a cupcake covering the back. 

“Cupcake, why did you get _me_ a vest with a cupcake on it?”

Laura shrugged. “People need to know that you're mine,” she said with a playful smirk. 

Carmilla grinned at her, and threw the vest around her shoulders. She shoved her arms through it, and stood up, turning so Laura could see the back. 

“How do I look?”

“Like a badass,” Laura said trying to keep a straight face.

“You're lucky I really love this vest,” Carmilla said with a laugh. “Are you ready for your present now?”

Laura glanced under the tree, but didn't see any other boxes. “There's nothing left under there, Carm.”

“That's because your present wouldn't fit under the tree,” Carmilla explained, “and it would take up way too much room in this apartment. I had Will bring it by last night.” She walked towards the door, and looked back at Laura. “Coming?”

Laura stumbled to the door, eager to find out what her gift was. She followed Carmilla outside and into the cold. “I probably should have put on a jacket before we came out here.”

“You'll warm up once you see this.” Carmilla lead her around to the parking lot, and headed towards her motorcycle. Someone else had parked their motorcycle right beside Carmilla's, and Laura was just about to say something about it when she noticed the massive bow that covered the handlebars. 

“Carmilla! You didn't?!” she squealed. Laura practically tackled Carmilla, and they both stumbled on the slick ground. 

Carmilla was laughing when she pulled away from Laura. “I thought it'd be fun to go out on rides together. You've gotten so good at riding my bike, you deserve one of your own.”

Laura pulled Carmilla into another tight hug, kissing her messily on the lips. “I love it so much! My dad is going to kill you, but I love it!”

She let go of Carmilla, and ran over to get a closer look at her new motorcycle.

–

Laura pulled into the empty parking lot at the old steakhouse she used to work at. It had been months since she had been there last. Once she had started getting more bylines at the paper, she didn't need the extra cash, and she stopped working there. She missed it, but was glad that she didn't have to serve anymore. 

She glanced at the time on her dashboard, wondering why it was closed when it was still relatively early in the night. Usually at this time, the restaurant was still fairly busy. She saw Carmilla's black Camaro parked right at the front of the building, and she pulled in next to it. 

One last look at herself in the mirror, and she climbed out to head inside. Anticipation had her hands shaking, and her heart racing. _“What does she have planned?”_ she thought to herself.

She pulled open the front door, and walked into the familiar dining room. The top of Carmilla's head peaked out from a far booth. Laura took a deep breath and started walking towards her. 

Carmilla looked up at the sound of Laura's heels on the floor, her face immediately breaking out into a wide grin. 

“Hey,” she said when Laura was close enough to hear her.

“Hey,” Laura said back with a small smile. “Carm, what's going on?”

“Patience, sweetheart,” Carmilla smirked. She stood up from the booth she was sitting in, and stepped close to Laura. “You look absolutely beautiful.” She looked Laura up and down a few times. “And I see you got your gifts.”

Laura brought her hand up to her chest where the locket sat, and she touched it softly. “I did, thank you so much. They're both amazing.” 

Now that Carmilla was standing, Laura was able to fully appreciate what Carmilla was wearing. She was in a tight black skirt, with black stockings, a loose fitting white shirt, and a long black jacket over the top of the shirt. Her hair fell in loose curls over her shoulders, and she had on just enough make up to high light her already sharp features. To say that she looked amazing was an extreme understatement.

“Did the ginger squad show up?” Carmilla asked.

Laura laughed. “You know they did.” 

Carmilla sighed, but she had a smile on her face. “I'm going to kill them.”

“Well, they didn't give anything away so...” Laura trailed off, expecting Carmilla to explain what they were doing there. 

Carmilla, though, always needing to remain mysterious, looked around the restaurant. “You know what we're missing?” she asked Laura thoughtfully.

“Food?” Laura joked.

“Actually, that will come later,” Carmilla said seriously. “I was thinking music.” She looked back in the direction of the kitchen and winked. The very first song that Laura had ever heard with Carmilla started playing over the speakers in the restaurant, and Carmilla held out her hand to Laura. “Care to dance?”

“Waltzing?”

“Is there any other way to dance?” Carmilla said with a laugh. She took Laura's hand, and pulled her in close. The chairs and tables that were normally in this section had been cleared away, and Carmilla twirled Laura around and around the now empty section. When the song stopped and another started, Carmilla began to speak.

“Do you remember what happened here?”

Laura chuckled. “How could I not remember? That was probably the most embarrassing moment of my life.”

“It's the best memory of my life,” Carmilla said seriously. “Will dragged me out to dinner that night because I had been in sort of a slump, if you will, and I hadn't been out in weeks. Work was keeping me busy, and I didn't think that I needed to have a life outside of it.” She laughed softly at the memories coming back to her. “Boy, was I ever wrong?”

“I'm glad that you decided to come out,” Laura said as they continued to dance. “I probably would have fallen into someone creepy old guy's lap if you weren't sitting in that booth.”

“Ah,” Carmilla sighed, “but fate had other plans for us. Laura, you fell into my lap that night, and I haven't stopped falling for you since.”

Laura's heart swelled with Carmilla's words, and she opened her mouth to speak, but Carmilla shook her head.

“I'm not finished,” Carmilla said. “Cupcake, you are like a dream come true. I wake up wanting to see your face, and I go to sleep dreaming of it. Your name, it plays like a broken record in my head all day.” She took a deep breath, and stopped dancing, keeping Laura close to her. “You're the most important part of my days, and the best part of my nights. I love loving you. Any moment that I'm not spending with you or talking to you just feels like a waste. I've never been so excited to come home, and I am now because I know that I get to see you. That I get to kiss you, and hold you in my arms. You're-well-you're absolutely everything to me.” She laughed softly, almost to herself. “You're my favorite person. My favorite anything. You make even the darkest of days brighter.”

She cleared her throat and released her hold on Laura. Reaching into the pocket of her jacket, she pulled out a small white box. “I love you with everything that I have, and I'm never going to stop.”

She took a step back, and dropped down on one knee.

“Laura Hollis, will you marry me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may hate me for ending it this way, but hear me out..I've left it open, so I can always make it a series. And I just may do that with some persuading. I have this other story in my mind that's been eating away at me for a while, and there's no way I could work on two different things at once, and I wanted to give this story a proper ending. Thank you all so much for sticking with me through 21 MF chapters. I'm eternally grateful for this silly idea that popped in my head because I've met some pretty great people through it. Why am I getting emotional over a fic? Oh, that's right, because it's taken over my life. Just like these two idiots have. I hope you loved and enjoyed reading this story as much as I did writing it. You're all the best. Seriously. Especially you. Yes, you. 
> 
> As always, don't be afraid to stop by and say hello!!  
> micanickel.tumblr.com
> 
> P.S. and there's no way I could post my last chapter without a shout out to my amazing muse. Thanks for helping me out when I couldn't think for myself, monkey <3 xoxoxo


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